


Secrets Of Lian Yu

by Zwill711



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Novelization, Prequel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-04
Updated: 2019-03-01
Packaged: 2019-05-18 08:49:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 13
Words: 26,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14849621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zwill711/pseuds/Zwill711
Summary: A novelization of Arrow, but without the present day segments, because I wanted to see if you could make a full story/series just using the past segments.





	1. Chapter One – The (Play)boy Who Lived

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Billionaire playboy Oliver Queen ends up stuck on an island in the North China Sea following a deadly storm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good to be back in the saddle, writing-wise.  
> Enjoy!

**Secrets Of Lian Yu**

 

**Chapter One – The Playboy Who Lived**

 

 

_The name of the island they found me on is Lian Yu. It’s Mandarin for purgatory. I’ve been stranded here for five years. I’ve dreamed of my rescue every cold, black night since then. For five years, I’ve had only one thought, one goal-survive. Survive and one day, return home._

_The island held many dangers. To live, I had to make myself more than what I was to forge myself into a weapon._

_I am returning. Not as the boy who was shipwrecked, but as the man who will bring justice to those who have poisoned my city._

_My name is Oliver Queen. And this is my story.  
_

 

 

_2007_

_North China Sea_

 

The Queen’s Gambit rocked and bounced in the water as heavy waves crashed against the hull. A crew member in a raincoat slammed the door as he stepped into the cabin. Robert Queen turned away from a screen in the cabin to look at him.

 

“The storm’s a Category Two.” The crewman told him. “Captain’s recommending we head back.”

“Alright. Inform the crew.” Robert said as he and the crewman began to walk to the bridge. Robert then saw his son, Oliver, walking towards him.

“Are we in trouble?” Oliver asked.  
“One of us is.” Robert said jokingly.

Just then, Oliver’s companion Sara Lance stepped out of his suite wearing little more than a bathrobe and her undergarments.

“Ollie, where do you keep the bottle opener on this thing?” She asked, gripping her robe tightly.

“I’ll-I’ll be there in a minute, Sara.” Oliver said as he waved her away.

Once she left, Robert walked over and placed a hand on his son’s chest.

“You know, son...that is not going to finish well for either of them or for you.” Robert advised.

Robert patted him on the chest and continued on to the bridge. Oliver watched him walk away and considered what he said. He was indeed playing a dangerous game, bringing Sara onto his father’s yacht. Sara happened to be the sister of Oliver’s girlfriend, Laurel Lance. And if Laurel found out, it wouldn’t end well for anyone.

 

Nevertheless, Oliver returned to his suite. He found Sara sitting on the bed with a glass of wine-She’d clearly found the bottle opener. Oliver walked over to the bar to get a drink as thunder cracked outside.

 

“One...two...three.” Sara counted as the thunder boomed again. “It’s getting closer.”

“That’s not very scientific.” Oliver said as he took a sip of his wine and walked over to the bed.

“What would you know about science, mister Ivy League dropout?” Sara taunted.

“I happen to know a lot about science.” Oliver quipped. “I know about fermentation. I know biology.”

Oliver then leaned in and kissed Sara.

“Laurel’s gonna kill me.” Sara said as she pulled away. “Oh, she’s so gonna kill me.”

“Your sister will never know.” Oliver reassured her. “Now, come here!”

Oliver jumped on top of Sara as the thunder cracked again and the room darkened.

“Okay, that one was really close!” Sara noted.

“Sara, we’re gonna be fine.” Oliver said.  
He began to kiss Sara, when he started to hear creaking, and the duo’s wine glasses fell over. The room began to tip backwards, and Oliver and Sara fell out of the bed and crashed into the wine cabinet. Oliver grabbed onto a fallen chair and lifted himself back up.

“Sara?” He said as water began to flood into the room. “Sara!”

 

Sara screamed loudly as she was dragged out of the room by the sudden torrent of water, and soon Oliver was too. He was dragged through the ship by the undertow. He held his breath as he was pulled out and away from the ship. He swam upwards and surfaced, far away from the yacht.

 

“Sara!” He shouted at the top of his lungs. “Sara!”

Oliver then saw a red light and turned around to see his father and a crewman in a life-raft.

“Oliver!” Robert shouted.

Oliver swam towards the raft as Robert tossed his flare into the water. The two helped Oliver up and he rolled into the raft, coughing. He clambered back up and crawled to the edge of the raft.

“No, no! No!” Oliver shouted hysterically. “Dad, she’s out there!”

“She’s not there.” Robert told him calmly.

Oliver watched as the yacht sank before his eyes.

“She’s gone.” Robert said bluntly.

Oliver sunk down and leaned against the back of the raft in shock. Robert crawled over and sat down next to him. He reached over and grabbed a bottle of fresh water, offering it to Oliver.

“Here, son. Drink.” He said.

Oliver looked up at him and grabbed the bottle with trembling hands, then started guzzling it down.

“What the hell are you doing?!” The crewman shouted angrily. “That’s all we’ve got!”

“If anybody’s making it out of here, it’s gonna be him.” Robert argued.

The crewman grunted and Robert turned back to Oliver.

“I’m so sorry. I thought I’d have more time.” Robert said to him. “I’m not the man you think I am. I didn’t build our city, I failed it. And I wasn’t the only one.”

Oliver stared at him blankly and turned back to the ship, as the bow sunk down into the cold, unforgiving sea.

 

Days later, the three of them continued to drift through the sea, and were beginning to run low on provisions. Robert looked up to see the crewman asleep, leaning against the side of the raft. Robert turned to Oliver, who was falling asleep next to him.

 

“There’s not enough food for all of us.” Robert whispered.

“Save your strength.” Oliver mumbled in response.

“You can survive this.” He continued. “Make it home. Make it better. Right my wrongs. But you gotta live through this first. You hear me, Ollie? You hear me, son?”

Oliver opened his eyes and looked up at him.

“You just rest, dad.” Oliver said, before dozing off again.

Robert nodded slightly, and then kissed Oliver on the head. He then pushed Oliver off of him and propped him up against the side of the raft. He reached into his life vest and pulled out a revolver, aiming it at the crewman. He pulled the trigger and shot the man quickly, knocking him off the raft. The sound woke Oliver up and he moved away from his father.

“Dad?!” Oliver said.

“Survive.” Robert said.

As he said that, he raised the revolver to his head and pulled the trigger. He fell over and onto his back, his eyes lifeless. Oliver clenched the side of the boat and began to sob.

“No...no!” Oliver shouted.

 

The next day, while still in shock, Oliver began to see hope at last. As the dawn broke and Oliver hung over the side of the raft limp and lifeless, he saw an island, covered in forests and mountains, illuminated by the morning sun. Oliver began to rouse himself as the island came into view. As the life raft began to draw near, Oliver stumbled out of the raft and into the water. He then swam through the freezing waters to the island. As he reached an inlet, he clambered to his feet and leaned on a fallen tree branch for support, before slipping over the branch and falling onto his back.

 

He got back to his feet and shambled onto dry land and fell over, nearly passing out. As he began to drift off to sleep, he heard birds squawking nearby. He opened his eyes and sat up. He looked out and saw a beach, with a flock of seagulls flying over it. He then saw a black inflatable life-raft washed up on the beach. His life-raft.

“Hey!” Oliver shouted as he stood up. “Hey, get away!”

 

Oliver began to run down the beach and rushed to the raft. He stumbled and coughed as he leaned on the raft. His father was still in the raft, his life-vest covering his face. Oliver gripped his father’s cold, dead hand. He let go quickly and turned around, falling to his knees. He then keeled over and began to vomit on the sands. He regained his composure as the seagulls began to flock again. He crawled over to the raft and covered his father’s body.

“Hey, hey! Stay away from him!” Oliver yelled.

 

Oliver panted heavily as he leaned on his father. Realizing the seagulls would be back, Oliver mustered all his strength and lifted up his father’s body, slinging him over his shoulders. He marched away from the shore and the raft, and over to the edge of the nearby forest. He set the body down and straightened his limbs. Then he noticed something peculiar in Robert’s pocket. A small, brown journal. Oliver opened it and flicked through the pages, but they were all empty, save for a strange symbol on the first page. Oliver sighed and slipped the book into his pocket.

He then stood up and limped over to a pile of rocks nearby and began covering his father with them. After an hour of work, Oliver set the final stone on his father’s improvised grave. He stood up straight and sighed, looking down at his handiwork.

 

He then heard a whistling noise, followed by a sharp, sudden pain. He screamed in agony and looked down, and saw that his right shoulder had been pierced by an arrow. Oliver fell down and leaned against the grave he’d made, then turned around to find his assailant. He saw a man in a green hood, with a bow and arrow. The man readied another shot and took aim at Oliver.

“No. Please...no.” Oliver said as he passed out from the pain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed that!
> 
> So, should I make more chapters or nah?


	2. Shēngcún

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver adapts to life on the island, and comes face to face with the man who shot him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Decided to expand this, if only a bit.  
> This story is fun to write so far.  
> I've thought for a while that you could make a whole series based purely on the Lian Yu parts. Guess I was right.

**Secrets Of Lian Yu**

 

**Chapter Two – Shēngcún**

 

Oliver awoke some time later, though he was no longer on the beach. He looked around and noticed that he had been moved to a cave while he slept. He groaned and sat up, looking down at his shoulder. It still had the arrow in it. His shirt was bloodied, but he wasn’t in as much pain now. He looked over at the entrance to the cave, as the man in the hood entered, walking over to Oliver slowly.

“Who are you?” Oliver asked as he looked up at him.

The man threw back his hood. He was an Asian man, with overgrown, ragged brown hair and a barely trimmed beard.

“Why did you shoot me?” Oliver questioned.

“ _To protect you.”_ The man answered in Chinese.

The man knelt down next to Oliver. He grabbed a nearby bowl of water and some herbs, then gestured to Oliver to take them. Oliver took the herbs and began to eat them. He coughed in response to the taste, and downed the herbs with the water. When Oliver finished drinking, the man grabbed the shaft of the arrow and began to pull on it, causing Oliver to scream in pain.

 

He removed the arrow quickly, and Oliver clenched his teeth and took short, ragged breaths. The man then walked over to the nearby fire and grabbed a life-vest taken from the raft. He walked back over to Oliver and placed the life vest behind him to support him.

“You sleep.” The man said with a thick accent.

 

As he said that, Oliver began to drift off. He awoke a few hours later, and rolled to his left. He looked over and saw the man who saved him fast asleep. Oliver grunted as he sat up and looked towards the cave entrance. He stood up slowly, grunting in pain as he did, then ran out of the cave and into the forest. Oliver ran as fast as he could in his condition, wheezing and coughing as he ran. Finally, he slowed to a stop and rested on a fallen tree. He looked around, and saw that he wasn’t being followed. He took his hand off the tree and took a few steps forward. He looked around the thick woods again, attempting to get his bearings. He began to hear rustling and attempted to find the source. Then, he heard a snap and a net rose up from the leaves he was standing on and trapped him, hanging him above the ground. Oliver immediately began to struggle against the net.

 

“Help!” He shouted. “Someone help me!”

A few minutes later, Oliver heard footsteps and leaves crunching. He looked over and saw the man he was running from walking towards him with a knife. He walked over to the net and held the knife up to it.

“ _Fool._ ” The man said in Chinese. “ _This place is too dangerous for any one man to be alone._ ”

The man walked over to the nearby tree and cut down the rope holding up the net. The net came loose and Oliver fell to the ground with a thud.

“ _They’ll kill you_ _!_ ” The man warned as he began to walk back to the cave.

Oliver scrambled to free himself of the net and stood back up. Realizing his mistake, Oliver reluctantly followed the man back to the cave.

However, soon after Oliver left, a group of men carrying rifles and wearing black combat gear and balaclavas arrived and inspected the net. One of the men picked up the net and then looked at the rope, and noticed it had been cut. He dropped the net angrily and turned to his troops.

“There’s no denying it.” The man said. “Someone was here, but they’re gone now. Bug out. Let’s find them.”

 

_The Next Day_

 

Oliver crouched down in a dark corner of the cave and pulled out his wallet. It was one of the few things he had left from the yacht. He opened the wallet and pulled out a photograph of his girlfriend. As he did, Oliver’s caretaker arrived carrying a cage with a pheasant inside. He set it down next to Oliver.

 

“Shēngcún.” The man said as he pointed to the bird.

“What am I supposed to do with that?” Oliver asked.

“Shēngcún.” The man repeated.

“Does that mean ‘bird’?” Oliver inquired.

“Shēngcún!” The man shouted in an irritated tone.

“I don’t speak Chinese!” Oliver retorted loudly.

The man scoffed and walked over to the fire. Oliver turned back to the photograph.

“I’m sorry, Laurel.” He said quietly. “I’m so sorry.”

Later than night, the man began to cook an animal he’d caught while Oliver moped. He stood up as the aroma reached him.

“What is that?” Oliver asked. “I’m so hungry...it smells really good.”

Oliver reached for the meat, but the man grabbed Oliver’s wrist and flipped him onto his back.

“Hey, fine. Don’t share.” Oliver said as he returned to moping in the corner.

The man took his meal off its skewer aside and turned to Oliver.

“Hey.” He said, pointing to the bird and making a neck-snapping motion. “Shēngcún.”

Oliver looked over at the pheasant, still chirping in its cage. He then realized what the man meant.

“I’m not gonna kill the bird.” Oliver told him.

“Shēngcún.” The man repeated as he pointed to the bird and began chewing on a piece of meat.

Oliver leaned against the wall and grumbled. The next day, Oliver watched as the man hung various meats over the campfire.

 

“Hey. Please.” Oliver asked. “I’m starving.”

The man just glanced at him and continued working.

“I’ve never killed anything before.” Oliver told him.

No response.

‘ _He’s not gonna give me food.’_ Oliver thought. _‘I should just close my eyes and get it over with.’_

Oliver sighed and pinched his temples. He then opened up the cage and grabbed the pheasant, holding it in front of him.

“I’m sorry.” Oliver muttered.

Oliver took a deep breath, looked upwards and quickly snapped the bird’s neck. He heard a squeak and looked down. The bird sat limp in his lap, lifeless. The man looked over at him.

 

Oliver stood up and took the bird over to him. After helping Oliver skin the pheasant and telling him how to cook it, he left the cave to go hunting.

When he returned, he found Oliver sitting in his corner, eating the pheasant. He smiled slightly and sat down in front of Oliver.

“Shēngcún.” He said once again.

“Yeah.” Oliver said as he chewed. “Bird. I know.”

“Shēngcún not mean ‘bird’.” The man said with a heavy accent. “Shēngcún mean ‘survive’.”

“You speak English?” Oliver asked, his eyes wide.

“You want survive this place...bird not last thing you kill.” He said. He then reached over and grabbed Oliver’s wallet, and pulled out the picture of Laurel. “And forget her. You look at that all day-you not survive this place.”

Oliver nodded and continued eating his meal.

 

_Three Days Later_

 

Oliver’s newfound partner took a deep breath as he aimed his bow at a nearby rabbit. He let the arrow fly with a whoosh, and the arrow hit its target perfectly, killing the rabbit cleanly.

“Dinner.” The man said as he gestured to the fresh carcass.

“Ah, come-” Oliver started. “Hey, I got an idea. Why don’t you let me shoot that thing and you can go pick up the bloody, dead, disgusting animal?”

The man held his bow out in front of him.

“What?” Oliver questioned.

“Try.” He said as he held up the bow. “Breathe. Everything, breathe. Breathe, aim...fire.”  
He handed the bow to Oliver along with one arrow. Oliver quickly nocked it.

“Aim that tree.” The man said, pointing to a large tree in front of them.

Oliver raised the bow and pulled back the bowstring. He pointed the arrow towards the tree.

“Breathe.” The man reminded him.

Oliver let go of the bowstring, and the arrow flew to the right of the tree and landed in the dirt.

“Nǐ huì sǐ dé fēicháng zāogāo.” The man remarked.

“What does that mean?” Oliver asked as he lowered the bow.

“You will die badly.” He translated. “Get.”

 

Oliver sighed and returned the bow to him. He walked past the tree and found his arrow lodged in a log. As he moved to grab the arrow, he was suddenly grabbed by two men in black masks. They forced his arms together and then proceeded to handcuff him.

“What the hell are you doing?!” Oliver shouted. “I didn’t do anything!”

They dragged him to a clearing and forced him into the back of a large, black truck. One of the men pulled out a black sack and stuffed it over his head.

“We have the target. We’re returning to base.” The man said on a radio as the truck set off.


	3. You Are Not Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver learns more about his cavemate, and makes a shocking discovery about his father's notebook.

**Secrets Of Lian Yu**

 

**Chapter Three – You Are Not Alone**

 

After a few minutes of driving, the truck slowed to a stop. The sack was yanked off Oliver’s head, and he was pulled out of the truck by the men. Oliver looked around and saw he was in a camp, filled with tents, weapons, vehicles and soldiers. The two men herded Oliver through the camp and into a tent positioned a fair distance away from the others. They pushed him into a post in the tent and left. He looked over and saw a man sitting at a table, looking at him.

 

“Please, sit.” The man said with a British accent as he gestured to the open chair across from him. “You’re making me feel rude.”

Oliver shambled over to the chair and fell into it.

“I do apologize for the way my men treated you.” He said. “They’re trained to view any stranger as hostile.”

The man leaned back in his chair and looked straight at Oliver.

“I’m Edward Fyers, by the way.” He told Oliver. “And you are?”

“I’m Oliver Queen.” Oliver said quietly. “I was shipwrecked here. I don’t...know for how long. My family has money. They have lots of money. You would be-You’d be really well compensated for my rescue.”

“Well...I look forward to that.” Fyers replied. “But for the moment, let’s just talk.”

“About what?” Oliver asked.

“Well, for instance...” Fyers said, picking up a photograph and displaying it to Oliver. “...this gentleman. Do you know him? His name is Yao Fei Gulong.”

 

Oliver looked down at the photo. It was a portrait of the man he’d been living with...but not as he looked now. He had clean, well-trimmed hair and no beard, and he wore a Chinese military officer’s uniform.

“No.” Oliver lied.

“No?” Fyers repeated.

“No. Who’s-who’s he?” Oliver asked.

Fyers stared at Oliver for a moment.

“You’re a poor liar.” He said with a frown.

Fyers set down the photo, leaned back and crossed his arms.

“I’ve been polite.” He said. “I’ll offer you one more chance before my manners leave me.”

“Hey, hey. I-I don’t know this guy, I swear.” Oliver argued. “I-I thought I was on this island all by myself.”

Fyers leaned forward and stared straight at Oliver.

“Do you know what this island is named?” Fyers asked. “We’re on Lian Yu, Mandarin for purgatory. And I can make it feel like hell.”

Fyers stood up and looked at Oliver.

“I don’t know why you’re protecting him.” Fyers said. “You’re young, foolish. Perhaps you don’t know why either. Think on that when you’re begging for death.”

Fyers glared at Oliver one last time and marched out of the tent.

“He’s yours now!” Oliver heard Fyers say as he left.

 

Oliver turned around in his chair to see a tall man in heavy, unique body armor enter. He had a sword strapped to his back, and wore an intimidating mask. The mask, unlike the masks worn by all the other soldiers, was painted yellow on the left side and black on the right side. The man walked towards Oliver and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. He dragged him over to the post and unlocked his handcuffs, only to tie his hands behind the post with a length of rope. The man punched Oliver in the face as Fyers re-entered.

 

“Let’s try this again. Where is Yao Fei?” Fyers asked.

“I told you...I don’t know who that guy is.” Oliver said.

Fyers sighed and turned to the man.

“Hurt him again. Give him a bit more pain this time.” Fyers ordered.

The man nodded and pulled out his blade and touched it to Oliver’s chest. He then dug it in and dragged it across his body slowly, as Oliver screamed in pain.

“Once again...Where is Yao Fei?” Fyers asked.

“Again...I don’t know who he is.” Oliver told him through gritted teeth.

“Hit him again.” Fyers ordered.

The man nodded and punched Oliver in the gut.

“Just tell us where he is and all this pain will go away.” Fyers reasoned.

“I don’t know where he is!” Oliver shouted.

Fyers stepped back and placed his hands on his hips.

“Amazing. You have resolve I didn’t credit you for.” Fyers said, before turning to his grunt. “Or perhaps, he truly doesn’t know anything.”

Fyers looked at Oliver for a second and began to walk out of the tent again.

“This is a waste of time. You should put him out of his misery.” Fyers told the man as he left.  


As he reached the tent flap, however, Yao Fei appeared in his signature hood and smacked Fyers in the face with his bow. He quickly nocked an arrow and fired at the rope around Oliver’s wrists. He nocked another arrow and fired at the man in the mask, but he caught it and snapped it in two with one hand. He pulled out his sword and lunged at Yao Fei, and he blocked the attack with his bow. The man swung at Yao Fei’s side, and he countered it again. Yao Fei hit him in the face with his bow, then hit him in the legs with it. The man grabbed Yao Fei and pulled him to the floor, and Yao Fei kicked him and rolled to his feet. He then hit him in the face with his bow again, dazing him. While he was downed, Yao Fei grabbed Oliver and helped him limp out of the tent. The two ran through the woods until they got back to the cave. Yao Fei set Oliver down on his handmade bed and laid him on his back.

 

“I tell you, island dangerous, but you not tell them where to find me.” He said as he stood over Oliver. “You stronger than I thought.”

Yao Fei reached into his pocket and pulled out a leather pouch and hung it over Oliver.

“Take it. There are herbs inside. I lead them off, you stay.” Yao said.

Oliver took the pouch with trembling hands and Yao Fei began to leave. Before he stepped out of the cave, he turned back to Oliver.

“Remember, everything breathe!” Yao reminded him. “You breathe, you survive here longer.”

As Yao Fei ran out of the cave, Oliver grunted and stood up.

“I’m coming with you!” Oliver said as he leaned against the wall for support. However, as soon as he took a step forward, a large boulder fell and blocked the entrance to the cave. Oliver fell back onto the bed and passed out.

 

The next day, Oliver mustered the strength to start a small fire and laid down next to it. He pulled out his father’s notebook and ripped out a page, and carelessly tossed it onto the fire. As soon as he burned the page, he felt a hand on his shoulder and spun around to see his father glaring at him. Oliver skittered away and stood up, staring at him.

 

“You died.” Oliver said.

“I asked you, I begged you to survive.” His father said.

Robert walked towards Oliver and pulled out his revolver and offered it to Oliver.

“But if you don’t think you can...there’s still one bullet left.” Robert said.

Oliver began to take the gun, but Robert tightened his grip on it.

“But, Oliver...my death is made meaningless by yours.” He said, letting go of the gun.

“I’m starving.” Oliver told him. “I’m gonna die anyway, and I just want it to be quick. I want it to be quick like y-yours was.”

“You can survive this.” Robert whispered.  
“No, I can’t.” Oliver retorted. “I’m not as strong as you think I am...and I’m sorry.”

Oliver raised the gun to his head and pulled the trigger, but was only met with a _click_. Oliver scowled and threw the gun to the ground.

“Of course it doesn’t work.” Oliver complained. “Because I’m hallucinating. Or I’m dreaming.” 

“But if you weren’t...you betrayed me, Oliver.” Robert told him. “I died so that you could live and you threw that gift away. You made that sacrifice empty.”

“I’m not you.” Oliver told him. “I’m not strong like you. I never was.”

“I told you, I’m not the man you think I am.” He replied. “The things I’ve done. What I was about to do.”

“What does that mean?” Oliver asked. “Please...I don’t know what that means.”

“I told you.” Robert told him. “I begged you...right my wrongs! This is your responsibility now.”

“How?” Oliver asked quietly. “How do I do this? I can’t even get off this island.”

 

Robert placed his hands on Oliver’s shoulders and looked up at him.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the truth about me. But I hope-I hope that you know that I love you.” Robert told him.

 

Oliver nodded and his vision began to fade. Oliver woke up and noticed that he’d fallen asleep next to the fire. He shook his head to wake himself up and reached for the notebook again, ripping out a page. He prepared to toss it into the fire, but as he held it over the fire, writing began to appear on the page.

He then set the page aside and grabbed the notebook and opened it over the fire, and just like the page, writing began to appear. Oliver looked at the notebook and saw it was a long list of various names. Oliver recognized a few. Adam Hunt. Martin Somers. James Holder.

Oliver then remembered that he’d heard those names on the news back home. Adam Hunt was an extremely corrupt CEO, known for bullying and bribing to get his way. Martin Somers was the CEO of Starling Port, and there were rumors that he took bribes from the Chinese Triad and let the Triad import drugs in return. And James Holder’s company had gotten in trouble for putting defective smoke detectors in low-income housing in The Glades, the poorest borough in Starling City.

“My responsibility...I get it now.” Oliver muttered to himself. “...I promise, Dad. I promise.”


	4. Bows And Black Sites

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yao Fei returns after a week, and Oliver learns more about the island and his partner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait for this chapter!  
> E3 2018 was this week and I've spent the last four days wrapped up in my comforter eating food that can't be good for me and watching Twitch streams.

**Secrets Of Lian Yu**

 

**Chapter Four – Bows And Black Sites**

 

_One week later_

 

Oliver awoke slowly to the sound of rocks rumbling. He squinted as light began to filter into the cave, and looked up to see Yao Fei standing over him.

 

“You not dead? Good.” Yao Fei said as he set down a metal jug and a rabbit next to Oliver.

“Where the hell you been?” Oliver croaked as he sat up. “I ran out of food and water days ago.”

Yao Fei turned around and began to leave.

“Hey, hey! Where are you going?” Oliver shouted.

Oliver reached over and unscrewed the cap on the jug and began chugging the water inside when Yao Fei stepped back into the cave, dragging Edward Fyers by his shirt collar. He tossed Fyers to the ground in front of Oliver.

Oliver hissed and punched Fyers in the face, before falling onto the ground from exertion. He scrambled over to Fyers, but Yao Fei grabbed him.

 

“Stop. Stop!” He said as he pulled Oliver away.

“He’s the one who tied me up and had me tortured!” Oliver argued, pointing to Fyers. “All ‘cause he was looking for you. He would’ve killed me if you hadn’t shown up!”

“Then you kill him.” Yao Fei said, offering a knife to Oliver. “Or...he can take you home.”

“What?” Oliver asked quietly.

Yao Fei flipped the knife in his hand and squatted down between Oliver and Fyers.

“He has a plane. A way for you off this island.” Yao Fei explained.

Oliver stared at Fyers for a second before turning to Yao Fei.

“Let’s get him to take us there.” Oliver said.

 

Yao Fei nodded and sheathed the knife. He reached over and grabbed a length of rope on the cave floor and tied Fyers’ hands behind his back. He grabbed Fyers by his collar and lifted him up. He walked out of the cave and gestured for Oliver to follow. Oliver stood up slowly and pushed Fyers.

“Take us to the plane.” Oliver said as he gestured to the exit. Fyers slowly marched out and Oliver followed him. The two joined Yao Fei outside and began walking through the woods.

 

“You know, you’re a good man.” Fyers said to Oliver as they walked. “I can see it...well, beneath the privileged upbringing and the wealthy veneer.”

Oliver glared at Fyers quickly.

“I saw it when my man tortured you, and you wouldn’t give up your friend.” He continued. “Not even a friend, really. Someone you just met.”

“Shut up.” Oliver whispered.

“What do you know about him?” Fyers asked. “Nothing, I suspect. Do you even know what this island really is?”

“It’s hell.” Oliver muttered.

“It’s a prison.” Fyers said. “I mean this literally. Until eight years ago, the Chinese military operated this island as a penitentiary for criminals deemed so dangerous, they couldn’t be safely incarcerated on the mainland. When the military shut the program down, my unit came in and disposed of all the inmates...with the exception of two. Your friend was one of them.”

Oliver stopped Fyers and turned to face him.

“Who was the other?” Oliver asked.

“You met him.” Fyers answered. “He presided over your interrogation.”

“He tortured me.” Oliver corrected.

“You had information I needed.” Fyers reasoned. “What would you do in my position? What would you do to capture the man who slaughtered dozens of people?”

 

Oliver glanced at Yao Fei and then nudged Fyers to keep moving. A few minutes later, the trio came to a clearing. Yao Fei pulled out Fyers’ radio and clicked it on, holding it up to his captive’s face.

“Call your people. Tell them to bring the plane.” Yao Fei ordered.

“There’s no need, Yao Fei.” Fyers said with a smirk. “My people will be here shortly.”

Yao Fei looked about the clearing as Fyers stared at him.

“Do you not think it convenient you captured me so easily?” Fyers asked.

 

Just then, the man who tortured Oliver stepped into the clearing. Yao Fei dropped the radio and readied his bow. He then pulled out his knife and tossed it to Oliver.

“Go!” Yao Fei shouted.

“What?” Oliver replied.

“Run!” Yao Fei told him.

 

Oliver sprinted back into the woods as Yao Fei engaged the man. He stopped to take a breath when he was safely away and caught a view of the clearing. He watched as the man smacked Yao Fei with the pommel of his sword, knocking him unconscious. As the soldiers dragged him away, Oliver watched the man in the mask turn to look at him before following the men.

Oliver turned away and crouched down. As he sat in the woods, he looked down at the knife and got an idea. If he could get into Fyers’ camp, he could free Yao Fei. But he would need a disguise. He would need to look like one of Fyers’ men.

 

Oliver sunk his knife into the ground and gathered some loose sticks near him. He started a minuscule fire quickly and then began to hear leaves rustling near him. He pulled out the knife and covered the fire with a pile of wet leaves. He then walked over to a particularly thick tree and pressed himself against it. He listened as the rustling drew closer, and then heard a man’s voice.

“I have contact.” The man said. “Two clicks southwest.”

The man kept walking and Oliver tightened his grip on the knife as he shuddered at the thought of what he was about to do.

Oliver ran out from behind the tree and charged towards the man. The man heard him coming and grabbed Oliver by his arms, pinning him against a tree. Oliver dropped his knife and the man began to strangle him. Oliver wrestled the man until he was free from the tree, but the man continued to hold him. Oliver tried to pull him away from the tree, but he lost his footing and fell down a slope, dragging the man with him.

 

The man landed on his back on a hard rock, and Oliver rolled off him and into a nearby stream. Oliver forced his way back to the surface quickly, grabbed onto a mossy rock and looked at his victim. The man was dead, splayed out on the rock. Oliver climbed onto the rock and back onto the shore. He walked over to the man and picked up his corpse, slinging it over his shoulders.

 

He walked back up the slope and set the man down in a cluster of trees. Oliver swapped out his clothes and looted the man. He zipped up the vest he’d commandeered and buckled the belt carrying the man’s sidearm. Oliver then found various leaves and tree branches and covered the man’s body with them quickly. He then stood up with a groan and checked the pockets on the vest, and found a key ring, along with a map of the island. He tucked them back into his vest. Oliver then slipped on his new balaclava and walked back over to the tree and picked up his knife and the man’s rifle, pulling the slide back. With his new disguise and equipment ready, he set off for the camp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo, this was fun to write, as always.  
> Thinking I may write an extra long chapter for the next chapter so that I can introduce Hottie McDeathstroke faster.


	5. Cage Match

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver finds Yao Fei, but discovers things are not as they seem...

**Secrets Of Lian Yu**

 

**Chapter Five – Cage Match**

 

 

Oliver arrived at the camp and walked towards a man handing out food to the soldiers. As he stood in front of the man, another soldier walked up to him and began complaining in Chinese.

 

“Different day, same slop.” The man said in English as the soldier in front of him scooped up a stew that looked like red vomit and poured it onto a tray. “You new?”

“Yeah.” Oliver responded.

The man chuckled and turned to Oliver.

“Don’t worry, it took me a year to find my way around the island.” He said before walking off.

“Oh, hey, wait a sec.” Oliver said. “I’m supposed to be transporting a prisoner. A Chinese guy who wears a green hood.”

“Sounds like the guy they took to the east camp.” The man replied. “I’m heading over that way. Come on, you can hitch a ride.”

The man walked off and Oliver followed him. The man climbed into a UTV, and Oliver hopped into the passenger seat.

 

“Hold up! Hold up!” Oliver heard a man yell angrily. He turned his head to see Edward Fyers marching toward them with a cane. The man stepped out of the vehicle and Fyers crawled into the back and stretched out across the back seat. The man stepped back into the vehicle and started the engine, then began to drive towards the camp. As they drove, Fyers glared at Oliver.

 

“Were you stationed by the perimeter?” Fyers asked him after a while.

“Yes.” Oliver lied.

“And your report?” Fyers asked.

“Uh...everything’s good, sir. No trouble.” Oliver said.

“How long have you been stationed here?” Fyers asked.

“Just arrived, sir.” Oliver answered.

“Yes, you do seem rather green.” Fyers noted. “Though I don’t recall the submarine bringing in a phalanx of new troops lately.”

Oliver began to sweat under his balaclava and he gulped.

“Submarine?” Oliver asked. “I thought everybody came into the island on the plane.”

Fyers shot a suspicious glance at Oliver and looked forward.

“Indeed they do.” Fyers said.

 

The two spent the rest of the drive in silence, and they arrived at the camp at nightfall. The other soldier stopped the engine, and he and Oliver climbed out, followed by Fyers. He stepped forward and saw various men in grim, metal cages.

“See, this is where we detain prisoners prone to running off before I’ve finished with them.” Fyers explained.

 

Oliver turned around to face Fyers and Fyers swung his cane and hit Oliver in the head, knocking him to the ground. Fyers kneeled down next to Oliver and lifted up his mask, revealing his face.  
“...prisoners like you, Mr. Queen.” Fyers said with a smug smile. A pair of men grabbed Oliver by his arms and lifted him to his feet. They pulled off his vest and gun holster, and then lifted him up into an empty cage. They slammed the door shut and Fyers stepped in front of Oliver, along with the soldier Oliver had met.

 

“Do you know why my men wear balaclavas, Mr. Queen?” Fyers asked him. “Because they mask everything but the eyes. And in a man’s eyes, one can always find the truth.”

Oliver grunted at him and tugged at the bars.

“You risked everything to save your friend.” Fyers said. “Someone I warned you about...and yet you trusted him. But that trust was misplaced.”

Fyers snapped his fingers and the soldier next to him took off his mask, and Oliver saw Yao Fei’s face.

“Don’t you see?” Fyers said. “You can’t trust anyone here.”

Fyers smirked and walked away from the cage, and Yao Fei followed.

 

_Three Days Later_

 

Oliver looked up to see Yao Fei standing before him, still in the mercenary’s garb.

“You working for them now?” Oliver asked, a hint of anger in his voice.

Yao Fei just stared at him.

“Why are you doing this to me?” Oliver asked quietly. “I thought we were friends or...something.”

Yao Fei continued to stare at him.

“I mean, why’d you bother keeping me safe if you were just going to hand me over to them?” Oliver continued, his voice rising. “Just...get me out of here.”

“I can’t.” Yao Fei said, setting a cup of water between the bars. He then walked away and left Oliver to suffer.

“Hey, don’t leave me here!” Oliver shouted. “I came back for you! Do you hear me?! I came back for you!”

Yao Fei ignored him and kept walking. However, the next day, Yao Fei returned and let Oliver out.

 

“I’m out of the cages now.” Oliver noted as Yao Fei dragged him away. “What’s going on? Are we getting out of here? Where are you taking me?”

Yao Fei continued to drag him along, and he saw a group of mercenaries gathered in a circle. In the center of the circle, the man who tortured Oliver was fighting another prisoner. Oliver watched as the man swiftly and continuously assaulted the prisoner. The man grabbed the prisoner by his wrist and lifted him up, and then turned to Fyers, who was watching the fight. Fyers nodded and the man tossed the prisoner to the ground and pulled out his sword quickly, shoving it into the man’s back. Fyers stepped forward as the man pulled his blade out, and two of the soldiers dragged the man’s corpse away.

“Well, I admit that bout was particularly one-sided.” Fyers noted. “Would anybody else like to give it a try?”

Yao Fei shoved Oliver into the circle and the man stared him down.

“The point of these little gladiatorial distractions is to strengthen unit cohesion.” Fyers explained. “To that end...I think our newest recruit ought to be afforded the opportunity to try his hand.”

 

As Fyers said that, Fyers’ personal hit-man stepped aside. Oliver turned to look at Yao Fei, and saw him setting his rifle aside. Yao Fei then stepped into the circle and faced Oliver. While Oliver stared at his opponent, Yao Fei quickly punched him in the jaw, knocking him down. Oliver stood up quickly and Yao Fei kicked him in the chest. Oliver clenched his teeth and looked up at him. Yao Fei punched him in the jaw again, then swiped at him, punching him in the cheek. He then kicked Oliver in the gut again. Yao Fei spun Oliver around and then began to choke him from behind. Oliver struggled, but to no avail. His vision faded and he fell to the dirt, lifelessly.

“Very well done.” Fyers said. “But then again, he wasn’t much of a match anyway. He was too personally connected to put up a fight.”

 

_The next morning_

 

A soldier dumped Oliver’s corpse onto a cliff as Yao Fei and Fyers watched. He prepared to roll Oliver off the side and into the river below.

“ _Wait.”_ Yao Fei said in Chinese. “ _I’ll do it.”_

The soldier stepped away and Fyers gestured for Yao Fei to roll him off. Yao Fei then slid his hand over Oliver’s neck and lightly pressed on his throat. He then pulled out a folded piece of paper and subtly slipped it into Oliver’s shirt pocket. With that done, Yao Fei pushed Oliver and sent him rolling off the cliff and into the roaring waters below.

 

As Oliver hit the water, he was jolted awake by the crash. He quickly surfaced and coughed as his lungs were filled with fresh air. He swam over to the shore and crawled onto the beach with a groan. He then felt something inside his shirt and reached into the pocket, pulling out the paper Yao Fei had stealthily given him. He unfolded it and saw it was a map of the island with various hand-written labels, and a red path ending with an X. Written above the X was one, familiar word. Shengcun.

“Shengcun.” Oliver said to himself. “Survive.”

 

Oliver folded up the map and stuffed it back into his shirt. He stood up and began to shamble toward his new destination. After walking through the woods for hours, Oliver reached the end of the path, and found a clearing with the wreckage of a large cargo plane. He glanced over at the tail and saw a faded decal of an Australian flag.

‘ _There doesn’t seem to be much here.’_ Oliver thought. _‘But Yao Fei thought it was important, so I should probably take a look inside.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, the next chapter is gonna be fun.  
> Because after this point, I think we know what comes next :D


	6. You Can Always Trust Sword-Wielding Australians

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver enters the plane, and meets an ally of Yao Fei.

**Secrets Of Lian Yu**

 

**Chapter Six – You Can Always Trust Sword-Wielding Australians**

 

 

Oliver stepped into the plane and looked around. As he’d expected, it looked deserted. Vines and overgrowth filled the cabin. However, there was one thing of note – A recently opened box of MREs. Oliver walked over to look at the box, and as he did, he heard a loud creak followed by a thud. In an instant, a man grabbed Oliver by his arm and pressed a sword to his neck.

 

“Twitch, and I will open your throat.” The man growled behind him. “How many more with you?”

“Wh-what?” Oliver stuttered.

“You have ten seconds to tell me something I believe before I cut out your voice box!” The man whispered to Oliver.

“Wait, wait, wait! Yao-Yao Fei sent me here, and I’m pretty sure it wasn’t so you could kill me!” Oliver replied.

 

The man let go of Oliver and spun him around to face him, and Oliver saw the man’s face. He had dark, very tan skin, a fairly trimmed beard with some light stubble dotting his face, and scraggly, dark brown hair.

 

“What?” The man responded, continuing to point his sword at Oliver.

“Yao Fei.” Oliver repeated. “He gave me directions to your...plane.”

The man stared at Oliver for a moment, then sheathed his sword.

“Show me the map.” The man said. “He must have given you a map.”

Oliver reached into his shirt and pulled out the map and handed it to him. He laid it out on a crate and began to study it.

 

“Shengcun...” The man said to himself.

“It’s Chinese. It means sur-” Oliver started.

“Survive.” The man finished.

“What do you think he meant besides not getting killed?” Oliver asked.

“There’s an airfield ten clicks from here. It’s key to getting off this island” The man said. “Yao Fei and I had been observing it for months. Familiarizing ourselves with their operations. We were supposed to get off this island together. But then Yao Fei was compromised and we were separated.”

The man reached into a plastic crate and pulled out another sword, and tossed it to Oliver.

“What’s this for?” Oliver asked.

“I think Yao Fei sent you because he knows I cannot take the airstrip alone.” The man told him.

“Sounds like Yao Fei.” Oliver muttered.

“He is a softer judge of character than I am.” The man said. “If you’re going to have my back...I need to know you can cover it.”

 

In one swift movement, the man pulled out his sword again and swung at Oliver, and Oliver blocked the attack with his blade. The man pulled his blade away and quickly moved it back to Oliver’s throat.

“What are you doing?” He whispered. “Fight back.”

Oliver pushed the sword away and swung at the man, and he dodged and smacked Oliver in the gut with the blunt end of his sword.

“Keep your blade up. Always stay behind your sword.” He told Oliver.

Oliver lunged at the man, and the man grabbed him by his shirt and sent him flying into a cluster of crates.

 

“You have no skill. No strength. No training.” The man said. “To say you fight like a girl would be a compliment.”

“It should be obvious...I’m not a soldier.” Oliver said. “I was shipwrecked here, I killed the guy that was wearing this uniform by accident.”

“Where was Yao Fei?” The man asked.

“He told me to run. And I did.” Oliver answered.

 

The man stared at him for a moment, then punched him in the face, knocking him out. When Oliver awoke, his arms were tied behind a chair with the man standing over him.

 

“Sorry. It’s nothing personal.” The man reasoned. “The airstrip was a very heavily fortified position. I’ve been there. And I cannot take it on my own.”

The man pulled out his sword and pointed it at Oliver. This was getting to be a habit.

“So-so what?! Huh? You’re just gonna kill me?!” Oliver asked.

“Like I said. It’s nothing personal.” The man said. “But if you’re alive, they will find you, and if they find you, they will torture you until you give up my location and I cannot allow for that to happen!”

Oliver stood up quickly as the man prepared to attack.

“Hey, wait a sec! Please don’t do this! I’m not gonna say anything to that-” Oliver pleaded, before being pushed back down.

“Don’t make it more difficult upon yourself.” He replied. “I can do this in a way where you will not feel it at all.”

‘ _Ah, shit. Need an idea, now!’_ Oliver thought. _‘Wait...I’ve got it.’_

 

As the man pulled his sword back and prepared to thrust it into Oliver’s chest, Oliver let his right hand go limp and twisted his wrist, then tried to lunge forward towards the man. He heard a crack, and pain flooded his arm. Slowly, he pulled his hands out of the rope around his wrists and stood up. He punched the man in the face as he stared at him, but the man was barely staggered. He regained his composure and grabbed Oliver by the collar of his shirt. He laughed heartily at Oliver and let him go. The man held out his hand and Oliver shook it.

 

“Slade Wilson.” The man said.

“Oliver Queen.” Oliver replied.

“Well, Oliver Queen...there might be a fighter inside of you after all.” Slade said. “Now, catch me up on what’s going on with Yao Fei.”

 

_Later that day_

 

Oliver sat down on a crate and gazed at the fire Slade had started.

 

“You know, this does not change anything between you and I.” Slade told Oliver. “It takes two men to take the airfield. And if you compromise my getting off this island, I will kill you.”

“You need me just as much as I need you.” Oliver argued. “So what’s our next step?”

“Turning you into something that won’t get us both killed.” Slade said.

He gestured to the crates near the cockpit.

“Choose a weapon.” Slade told him.

“We’re starting now?” Oliver questioned.

Slade just stared at him and Oliver sighed. He stood up and walked over to one of the crates and opened it, and found an M4A1 rifle. Next to it, he saw a strange black object. He picked it up and turned it over, and saw that it was the mask worn by the man who tortured him.

 

“That’s mine.” Slade piped up.

“You’re the lunatic who tortured me?!” Oliver hissed.

“No, that was another guy.” Slade said calmly.

“Bullshit!” Oliver shouted.

“This mask? It’s my operational equivalent to a balaclava.” Slade explained. “My partner and I wore them to keep our identities classified during our missions.”

“You’re lying.” Oliver said. “Fyers told me this-this nutcase is a prisoner on the island.”

“And Fyers is such a trustworthy individual?” Slade replied sarcastically. “He lied to you. My partner and I came here to free Yao Fei and get him off this island. We’re A.S.I.S – Australian Secret Intelligence Service.”

 

‘ _This island gets odder by the day.’_ Oliver thought. _‘First, a badass running around with a bow and arrow. Then,_ _I find out there’s mercenaries all over the island_ _. And now_ _I’m dealing with_ _Australian secret agents.’_

“Now, let me tell you a story.” Slade said. “The story about how we ended up here.”


	7. Wintergreen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver learns about the secrets of his newest ally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear god I hope this chapter turned out alright.  
> Out of all the chapters I've done so far, this feels like the most important and I really want to make sure I do it right.

**Secrets Of Lian Yu**

 

**Chapter Seven – Wintergreen**

 

_One Year Ago_

 

Slade tightened his grip on the controls of his plane as a storm rumbled outside. His partner, Billy Wintergreen sat in the seat next to him and flipped through the dossier on the man they were rescuing.

 

“Going an awfully long way to get one man. Putting our necks on the line, too.” Billy quipped.

“Just put your seat belt on, will ya?” Slade muttered.

“For all we know, Yao Fei is dead.” Billy continued.

“Billy...I love you, man, but you ask too many damn questions.” Slade said. “Look, there’s the island.”

 

Billy closed the dossier and put on his seat belt. Slade lowered the plane and began steering towards an air field that ASIS had found on a satellite image. However, as he approached it, a loud beeping sound suddenly filled the cabin, followed by a boom. The engines sputtered and the plane began to fall.

 

“We’ve been hit!” Slade said. “I thought this island was abandoned?!”

“It was.” Billy said.

 

Slade turned the plane hard and aimed for a large clearing. He pulled up on the controls and the plane slid into the clearing on its belly, knocking into trees and kicking up dirt as it dragged along the ground.

The plane slowed to a stop and Slade let go of the controls and took a deep breath.

 

“You alright?” Slade asked.

“Fine, you?” Billy replied.

“Nothing some booze won’t fix.” Slade joked. “Let’s get our masks on. Whoever shot us down is bound to find us soon.”

 

Billy nodded and undid his seat belt and moved into the cargo bay. He cracked open one of the crates and pulled out his mask, slipping it on. Slade followed him and did the same. Billy grabbed his sword, then grabbed an M4 rifle and loaded it, and Slade grabbed his sword and a USP pistol. Slade stepped out of the plane and gestured for Billy to follow. They saw a forest to their right, and ran towards it. They rushed through the woods, but as they ran, they heard noisy barking behind them. Bloodhounds. Soon, they were ambushed and surrounded by soldiers in black balaclavas.

“Drop your weapons!” One of the soldiers yelled.

Slade grunted and set down his pistol, and Billy tossed his rifle to the ground. As they did, Edward Fyers walked up to them and then stared them down.

 

“Why are you here?” Fyers asked.

“Because a friend of mine said this was the best place to get Chinese food.” Slade joked.

“Don’t lie to me.” Fyers hissed.

Slade just stared at him. Fyers sighed and pulled out a taser.

“I guess we’ll have to do this the hard way.” Fyers said as he shoved the taser into Slade’s chest, knocking him out. He then did the same to Billy.

“Take them away.” Fyers said to his men.

 

The next day, Slade awoke to water splashing onto his face. He jolted his eyes open and looked around. He was in a tent now, tied to a metal chair. Fyers sat across from him, looking straight at him.

 

“I should apologize.” Fyers said. “My manners left me last night. Let’s start over. My name is Edward Fyers. What’s your name?”

“Sam Winchester.” Slade said.

“Alright, you won’t tell me your name.” Fyers said with a frown. “Then answer my question from last night...why are you here?”

“A white buffalo with flaming eyes visited me in a dream and told me to come here.” Slade said.

Fyers sighed and rubbed his temples.

“Just answer my question and I’ll send you back home.” Fyers said. “It’s as simple as that.”

“The only way you’ll send me home is in a casket, because I won’t tell you anything.” Slade told him.

“You think I’m going to kill you?” Fyers asked. “No. You have information I need. So I’m going to hurt you until hell feels like a spa trip. And at that point, you’ll crack.”

Fyers stood up and rolled up his sleeves, walking over to a man in the corner of the tent.

“Go get me my tools.” He told the man.

The man walked out and returned a few minutes later with a cart filled with various torture devices.

“Let’s see...how about we start with some good old waterboarding?” Fyers said to himself as he picked up a jerry can and a rag.

 

Slade endured the torture for sixty days, continually finding lies to feed Fyers when asked about why he was on the island. However, Billy Wintergreen was not as strong. After just a few days of questioning, Billy joined forces with Fyers and began torturing Slade.

 

Slade screamed as Billy slowly dragged his sword across his pecs. Fyers raised his hand and Wintergreen pulled his blade away.

 

“Why don’t you join up with my unit?” Fyers asked. “Your partner here saw the benefits, why can’t you?”

“Because I take orders from my government, not some mercenary shitbag.” Slade said.

“Think of how much you could make with us.” Fyers said. “I’m sure your agency isn’t paying you anything worthwhile.”

“It’s enough to get by.” Slade said.

“But it’s not enough to live your life to the fullest.” Fyers argued. “Your partner here was always broke working with you. Would you like to know why?”

“Not particularly.” Slade said.

“Because your agency paid him a pathetic salary.” Fyers explained. “You see, in the sixty days you’ve been sitting there, your partner has earned around-Oh, what was it? $400,000?”

“$450,000, sir.” Wintergreen piped up.

“Thank you.” Fyers said. “Join up with us, and you too shall reap the rewards.”

“Go fuck yourself, cock-knocker.” Slade said. “I have everything I need in life, and I don’t need your blood money.”

 

_One-hundred and twenty seven days later_

 

Slade screamed as Billy whipped him once again.

“Tell us who sent you here!” Fyers shouted.

“Go die.” Slade replied through gritted teeth.

Billy pulled the whip back and smacked Slade with it again. And again. And again. And again.

Billy stopped momentarily and Slade turned around slowly, glaring at him with a look of pure hatred.

 

_Eighty-one days later_

 

Fyers walked into the tent Slade was stuck in and looked at him. He was battered and weak, and his hair was outgrown and his beard was bushy.

“What...here to give my daily dose of suffering?” Slade muttered.

“Not today.” Fyers as Billy entered the tent. “Us three-we’re going for a drive.”

 

Billy walked over to Slade and grabbed him, and jolted him upright. Fyers stepped out and Billy followed, dragging Slade with him. They walked through the camp and stopped behind a UTV, and Fyers lifted up a noose tied to the back of the vehicle. He threw it over Slade’s head and then tightened it. He gestured to the vehicle and Billy and Fyers climbed in. They started the engine and began moving, and Slade was yanked off his feet with a yelp.

 

“Floor it.” Fyers ordered.

Billy nodded and slammed down on the gas, dragging Slade along the rough forest roads. He kept driving through the forest, knocking Slade about behind him. The forest floor cut into Slade and bruised him over and over again.

“Go ahead and stop.” Fyers said after a while.

Fyers hopped out of the vehicle and walked over to Slade.

“Feel like talking now?” Fyers asked.

Slade grumbled and looked up at Fyers, his eyes half-open and his body wrecked. Fyers sighed and climbed back into the vehicle.

“Keep driving.” Fyers ordered.

 

_Fifty-five days later_

 

A pair of soldiers dragged Slade into a bunker after weeks and weeks of torture and through a long room filled with jail cells.

‘ _Looks like that British cunt finally gave up.’_ Slade thought as he was dragged along.

They stopped in front of a cell at the far end of the room and opened it, before pushing him in. The soldiers slammed the door shut behind them and left the room. Slade rolled onto his back and looked around. He saw the man he was supposed to save, Yao Fei, sitting on the bed looking down at him.

 

“Who are you?” Yao Fei asked with a heavy accent.

“Your ticket outta here.” Slade said with a forced smile.

“Says the broken man.” Yao Fei replied.

“Ah, I ain’t broken. Just a bit dinged.” Slade said.

Yao Fei squinted at him as if inspecting him.

“You Australian Secret Intelligence, yes?” Yao Fei asked.

“Wha?” Slade responded.

“Accent.” Yao Fei said. “Says all.”

“Bugger.” Slade said to himself.

“You want escape, yes?” Yao Fei said. “I have idea.”

“Well, let’s hear it.” Slade said.

Yao Fei stood up and helped Slade to his feet.

“If I cut off blood flow for short time, we can trick men into opening the door.” Yao Fei explained.

“Alright...I’ve got no better ideas, so let’s do it.” Slade said.

 

Yao Fei nodded, and then suddenly spun Slade around and began to choke him. He gasped and then passed out onto the floor. Yao Fei walked to the cell door.

“Guard!” Yao Fei yelled. “This man just died!”

Yao Fei heard a metal door open and a soldier rushed over and quickly opened the cell door. The soldier checked Slade’s pulse, and as he did, Yao Fei grabbed his head and slammed it into the wall, knocking him out. He took the guard’s gun, and then lightly pressed on Slade’s throat. Slade awakened and sucked in air quickly.

 

“What the-” Slade said. “How did you do that?”

“I cut off your blood flow.” Yao Fei said. “Requires much precision.”

Slade stood up and leaned against the wall.

“We need to get out of here.” Slade said.

 

Yao Fei nodded, and the two walked out of the cell. They walked out of the room and into the long hallway. As they stepped out, they saw Billy standing in their path, his mask on and his sword at the ready.

Billy said nothing and walked towards them. As he walked towards them, two soldiers followed him. Yao Fei quickly aimed his gun and shot both of them, killing them.

Billy began to run towards Slade and once he got close, he swung his sword downwards. Slade dodged and punched him in the gut. Billy swung again and Slade grabbed his wrist and punched him in the face. Billy headbutted him and Slade stepped back.

 

“I’m going to kill you, you traitorous son of a bitch!” Slade shouted.

“I did what was right!” Billy argued. “We were fighting for a nation who ignored us, risking our lives for wars we didn’t believe in! With Fyers, I’m free at last!”

“That all sounds well and good...if you’ve got no fucking standards!” Slade replied.

“Think about your future.” Billy said. “Think about Joe.”

“Don’t mention my son, you dick.” Slade said.

 

Slade punched him again, then grabbed him and pushed him into a wall. Billy swung his sword at him again, and grazed Slade’s chest. He thrust his blade forward and cut into Slade’s side. He swung at Slade again and Slade dodged. Slade charged forward and grabbed Billy by the neck and began choking him. Billy passed out and his body went limp. He kept choking him though, and Yao Fei tapped him.

 

“We have to go, or they will kill us.” Yao Fei said.

Slade nodded and dropped his former partner, then followed Yao Fei down the hallway and up the ladder that lead out of the bunker. Yao Fei forced the hatch open slowly, and sunlight streamed in, nearly blinding them. They climbed out and began to hear men yelling nearby. Yao Fei ran into the woods, and Slade followed.

 

_Present Day_

 

“...And that’s how I ended up here.” Slade finished. “Squatting in a broken fucking airplane.”

Slade picked up a branch on the ground and pointed to the crate.

“Now...you are going to find yourself a weapon.” Slade said. “Have you considered a sword? I like swords.”

Slade smiled, and Oliver returned to the crate.


	8. Framed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Learn the story of Oliver's mentor, and witness Yao Fei's journey from 3 Star General to Robin Hood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I had fun doing backstory on Slade, I figured I'd do a chapter about Yao Fei's story since it's not really brought up in the main series.

**Secrets Of Lian Yu**

 

**Chapter Eight – Framed**

 

Oliver flipped through the dossier on Yao Fei from A.S.I.S. as Slade sharpened his sword.

“So, let me get this straight.” Oliver said. “Yao Fei was framed for murdering a bunch of civilians?”

“Yep.” Slade responded as he inspected his blade. “A.S.I.S. believes that a lower-ranked officer killed all those civilians and pinned it on Yao Fei so he could take his spot.”

“That’s fucked up.” Oliver mused.

“Yes, it is.” Slade replied.

 

_1998_

_Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China_

 

General Yao Fei sipped a cup of tea and looked out the window of his temporary garrison. The people below clamored and shouted as they marched through the streets. The people were partaking in a pro-democracy protest against the state, and Yao Fei’s unit had been called in to deal with it, with as few civilian casualties as possible. After the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989, the military wasn’t in the mood to take chances.

 

Yao Fei heard the door to his office open. He turned around and saw a tall, muscular man enter. The man was Major General Huang Liu. He was a vicious man, and mostly kept to himself.

 

“This is a pleasant surprise.” Yao Fei said. “What brings you here from Shaanxi?”

“These protests are an ‘all hands on deck’ sort of situation.” Liu said. “I came here to offer my aid.”

“You’re offering aid to me?” Yao Fei replied. “Are pigs about to start flying?”

“This is a big mess, and it’s gonna take more than one man to clean it up.” Liu told him.  
“You’re right.” Yao Fei said. “Come with me. I’ve got a briefing to give.”

 

Yao Fei set his tea down and picked up a radio, clipping it to his belt. He walked out of his office and Huang Liu followed. He walked down the stairs in his garrison and into the lobby, where his men were waiting. He stood in front of them and put his hands on his hips.

 

“Alright, men! Here are your orders!” Yao Fei said. “You are to go out there and disperse the crowd without killing anyone! Arrest anyone who resists, and run the rest out of the city! Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir!” The men shouted in unison.

“Then move!” Yao Fei yelled.

The men nodded and filed out of the building. Yao Fei turned to Huang Liu.

“So, did you bring anything useful?” Yao Fei asked.

“As a matter of fact, I did.” Liu said smugly. “I got my hands on a set of Changhe Z-11s.”

“Good, use them.” Yao Fei said. “Get your men to fire off tear gas into the crowds from them.”

 

Huang Liu nodded and turned around to head towards the roof, gesturing for his men to follow. Yao Fei walked towards the entrance and left the building, heading out into the chaos. He looked about the street as he headed towards his personal APC. He climbed onto the APC and slipped into the turret port. He looked around and observed the scene. His men were rushing into the fray with batons and riot shields, and Huang Liu’s helicopters were taking off.

“Let’s move.” Yao Fei said.

As he said that, the APC began to rumble as it lumbered forward. As the APC moved towards the crowd, Yao Fei pulled out his pistol. He raised it high, pointing it towards the sky, and pulled the trigger. The people screamed and began to run. A few ran towards Yao Fei, but Huang Liu’s men began shooting canisters of tear gas at the ground. The people coughed and choked, then ran away from the clouds of gas.

 

“Keep going.” Yao Fei said.

The APC started moving again. They continued this routine for hours, with little change. Yao Fei clicked his radio on as the crowds began to dwindle.

“Alright, how much of this crowd have we dispersed?” Yao Fei asked.

“About ninety-five percent, sir.” A soldier replied.

Yao Fei smiled, then heard a loud, resounding boom followed by screams. He looked forward and saw various fires, and saw the people running in fear. There was another boom, followed by an explosion. As the streets burned and people screamed, Yao Fei looked up. He saw Huang Liu leaning out of one of the helicopters, holding a rocket launcher. He fired again, violently killing more civilians below.

“Get us out of here!” Yao Fei shouted.

 

The driver forced the APC into reverse and backed up quickly, then flicked the vehicle around and drove back towards the garrison. The APC stopped in front of the garrison’s entrance and Yao Fei hopped out of the turret port and back onto the street. He looked up to see the helicopters flying off into the distance as screams filled the air and the scent of blood flooded his nostrils.

 

_Three Days Later_

_Yao Fei’s office._

 

“...Three days after the incident in Chengdu, the final casualty numbers have come in.” A newscaster said on Yao Fei’s TV. “Thirty people died, and sixty were injured, according to government officials.”

 

Yao Fei squeezed his temples as he listened to the news. The door to Yao Fei’s office creaked open and Yao Fei sat up straight, and a man named Shun Chou entered. Shun was a trusted friend of Yao Fei. While Yao Fei had joined the military, Shun had gone into politics. However, they remained in contact.

 

“Your garrison is looking rather empty, my friend.” Shun said.

“All my officers decided this was a great time to take their yearly vacation.” Yao Fei explained. “And most of my soldiers, rather suspiciously, ended up getting sick around the same time.”

“Interesting. I hear Huang Liu is taking his yearly vacation too.” Shun noted. “He’s likely halfway to Corto Maltese by now.”

“Dirtbag.” Yao Fei hissed. “He killed all those civilians and now he’s running away.”

“Makes sense. He was the only one with those helicopters.” Shun said as he pulled a folder out of his coat. “Unfortunately...the party isn’t seeing things the way I am.”

He set the folder on Yao Fei’s desk.

“What’s this?” Yao Fei asked as he opened the folder.

“The breadcrumb trail Huang left for the party.” Shun said. “They found three helicopters torched not far from here. One of them had a rocket launcher with your fingerprints on it.”

“You know I refused to use those sorts of weapons!” Yao Fei shouted angrily.

“I know!” Shun replied, raising his hands defensively. “I think he pulled the fingerprints off a glass or cup you used when you weren’t looking.”

Yao Fei slammed his fist and growled.

“We can fight this.” Yao Fei said.

“I know we can.” Shun said. “But should we?”  
“What do you mean?” Yao Fei replied.

“Most of the party is pushing for your death. They need a pound of flesh to feed the people, and in their eyes, anyone will do.” Shun explained. “But I believe I can talk them down. I can get you imprisonment or something.”

“I don’t care about death, Huang Liu needs to pay!” Yao Fei retorted.

“Think about your daughters.” Shun reasoned.

Yao Fei glared at him and let out a low growl.

“If we fight this, Huang Liu may go after Mei and Shado.” Shun said. “Look-Huang just wants to knock you off the board to get your position. There’s more to your life than your military rank.”

Yao Fei let out a deep breath and nodded.

“What do I need to do?” Yao Fei asked.

 

_Three Weeks Later_

_Chinese Military Court_

 

Yao Fei straightened his suit and smoothed out his tie. Shun stood behind him and dusted off his shoulders quickly.

“Remember-I got you a deal here.” Shun whispered. “All you have to do is go in there and claim responsibility. Just trust me.”

Yao Fei nodded and pushed open the large, wooden doors before him, and stepped into the courtroom as cameras flashed and people muttered and whispered. Yao Fei walked over to his table and sat down.

 

“Yao Fei.” One of the judges said. “You stand accused of thirty counts of first degree murder, and multiple counts of property damage. How do you plead?”

“Guilty.” Yao Fei said. “I accept full responsibility.”

“Then we sentence you to death...” Another judge said. “...or at least, we’d planned to.”

“What do you mean by that?” Yao Fei asked.

“Originally, we had enough evidence to put you down.” The third judge began to explain. “But this morning, we received testimonies from four of your men saying you were framed. They say you told them not to kill anyone, and that you refused to kill any civilians as well. This new information puts our evidence, and your plea, into question. With that in mind, we’ve decided to sentence you to indefinite imprisonment whilst we continue our investigation.”

 

The judge banged his gavel and two soldiers entered the room and handcuffed Yao, then dragged him out. As they marched him down the corridor to the holding area, Shun appeared in front of him and raised his hand. The soldiers stopped in their tracks and released Yao. Yao walked up to him and smiled.

 

“I thought you said we shouldn’t fight this?” Yao Fei said.

“Ah, ah-I said _we_ shouldn’t fight it. I never said I wouldn’t fight it.” Shun said with a smug smile.

“How’d you get those testimonies, if I may ask?” Yao Fei asked.

“Let’s just say Huang Liu didn’t buy the loyalty of _all_ your soldiers.” Shun said.

"Another question-Why did I have to plead guilty?" Yao asked.

"It'll help sell the story that you were forced into this." Shun said.

“I don’t know how to thank you.” Yao Fei replied. “I am forever in your debt.”

“Well, you’ll definitely owe me a few drinks.” Shun said. “For now, just survive prison and let me work.”

Yao Fei smiled as Shun walked past him and the men continued moving him.

 

_Four weeks later_

_Lian Yu_

 

Yao Fei laid flat on his bed in his cell and listened to the various sounds in the prison. Moonlight streamed into the prison through the skylights. He heard two guards chatting as they walked and listened in.

 

“Did you hear the latest about Huang Liu?” A guard said.

“No, what happened?” Another said.

“The government finally caught up with him, so he defected to the United States and managed to get asylum granted to him.” The first guard explained.

 

Yao Fei smiled and threw his hands behind his head. Shun had come through. He’d wished Huang had died, but this outcome was good enough.

 

_1999_

 

Yao Fei leaned against the bars of his cell and looked out. The guards seemed to be in a hurry, loading up crates and rushing back and forth. A group of mysterious soldiers entered the room and looked down at the prisoners from the catwalks above the cells. They were led by a Caucasian man, with curly, slicked back blonde hair and blue eyes.

 

The Chinese soldiers cleared out, and more of the mysterious soldiers entered. They unlocked the cells, one by one and the prisoners filed out and gathered in the center of the room. Yao Fei slowly stepped out of his cell and looked around.

 

_‘Something’s wrong here.’_ Yao Fei thought.

 

He looked over to see the soldiers that let him out leaving the room. He looked up towards the catwalks and saw the commander leave. When the door sealed, the few remaining soldiers on the catwalks pulled out M79 grenade launchers and slipped on gas masks. They fired their weapons simultaneously and shiny, silver canisters sped to the floor. There were multiple loud bangs and a foul odor began to fill the room.

 

_‘Is that-are they using gas?!’_ Yao Fei thought as he pulled his shirt up over his nose and bit down on the inside to make an impromptu gas mask. _‘That’s a war crime!’_

 

The other prisoners began to cough and keel over, and the soldiers took one last glance before leaving the room and sealing the door. Yao Fei looked around on saw a chain hanging from the ceiling. Normally, the chain was used to torture prisoners, but now it would be used to help Yao escape his doom.

 

He bit down on his shirt to keep it over his face and grabbed the chain with both hands, and began to climb it. He turned to look at the catwalk and started swinging the chain away from it. As it came back, Yao Fei jumped towards the catwalk, just barely grabbing the railing. He pulled himself up and rolled onto the floor. He scrambled to his feet and ran towards the door. He fumbled with the lock and forced it open. Luckily for him, the other soldiers had already left. He sprinted down the hallway and quickly opened the door. He lunged at the ladder and climbed it rapidly. He pushed the hatch for the bunker open slowly and scrambled out into the open.

He pulled down his shirt and let out a deep breath as he stared up at the moon.

_‘Looks like I’m stuck here now.’_ Yao Fei thought. _‘Lian Yu is a harsh mistress. The longer I’m here, the harder things are going to get for me.’_

Yao Fei bent down and picked up a piece of wood, inspecting it.

_‘Time to get to work.’_ Yao Fei thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed that! I had fun doing this.
> 
> Uh...I don't really have anything else to say.
> 
> Go play Celeste. Celeste is a fucking beautiful platformer with amazing music, wonderful art and a great story about overcoming anxiety.


	9. The Airfield

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It has now been five months since Oliver met Slade. For five months, Slade had been beating him and pushing him to his limits in order to train him. And now, the arrival of the supply plane is drawing near.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Extra long chapter today.

**Secrets Of Lian Yu**

 

**Chapter Nine – The Airfield**

 

It had now been five months since Oliver had met Slade. For five months, Slade had been beating him and pushing him to his limits in order to train him. And now, the arrival of the supply plane was drawing near.

 

Oliver fought against Slade with a pair of bamboo sticks. He countered every attack from Slade, but Slade raised his arm and smacked Oliver in the face with his stick, knocking him down onto the grass.

 

“How’d you survive here for six months?” Slade asked. “I know girl scouts who have more fight in them.”

“Fighting girl scouts now, huh, Slade?” Oliver replied.

Slade smacked his hand with the stick and Oliver yelled out in pain.

“What the hell?!” Oliver shouted.

“Listen, kid.” Slade said. “We have ten days until the supply plane lands. Ten days to turn you into at least half a soldier, so start taking it seriously.”

 

The two resumed their fight, though Slade quickly beat Oliver again.

 

“What is the point of this?!” Oliver asked. “These soldiers don’t carry bamboo, they have guns! So what am I supposed to do if one of them jams a gun in my face?! Threaten ‘em with my stick?!”

 

Slade reached down to his waist and pulled a pistol out of his holster, offering it to Oliver.

“Jam this in my face.” Slade said. “Do it.”

Oliver took the gun and aimed it at Slade. As soon as he did, Slade grabbed his wrist and disarmed him, before dragging him to the ground.

 

“I give up!” Oliver said. “I give up.”

Slade grabbed him by his shirt collar and dragged him to his feet, pointing his gun at him.

“There is no giving up to these guys!” Slade said. “No crying or buying your way out of it! You have two choices here. Escape...or die. So choose!”

“Escape.” Oliver said.

“Then let me show you how not to die.” Slade said.

 

Slade let Oliver go and holstered his gun. He picked up the bamboo sticks, tossing one to Oliver, and resumed his training.

 

_Nine Days Later_

 

Slade spread out a series of maps of the island on a crate and looked them over.

 

“Lian Yu...” Slade muttered to himself.

“It’s the name of the island, I know.” Oliver piped up. “It’s Mandarin for purgatory.”

“It is? Wonderful.” Slade replied sarcastically.

“Is that the airstrip?” Oliver asked, pointing to a thin line on the map.

“ASIS took satellite images of the whole island.” Slade said as he ran his fingers over the map. “Right here-This is Fyers’ main camp, where I was held for almost a year.”

“Do-do you think that’s where Yao Fei is now?” Oliver asked. “’Cause we could get a message to him! Tell him we found a way off the island.”

“Forget about him.” Slade said grimly. “Look here. This is the airstrip. And these infared images show there are at least ten soldiers guarding the perimeter at any given time.”

“Too many of ‘em for ya?” Oliver quipped.

“No…I could tear those men in two, with my bare hands.” Slade said in a serious tone. “My problem here is the tower. It’s a PTAC, portable air traffic control tower. The US government sets these up for disaster zones, like Thailand after the tsunami.”

“So what’s the problem?” Oliver asked.

“The glass is bulletproof.” Slade said. “I can’t take out the tower guard with my sniper rifle. And if he suspects anything’s wrong, he’ll radio Fyers and this will all be for nothing. So it’ll be up to you to take him out...up close and personal. Are you ready for that?”

“Do you think I’m ready?” Oliver asked quietly.

“What I think is that there’s only one supply plane every three months.” Slade said. “We leave tomorrow, or we die soon afterwards. I pick leaving.”

Oliver nodded in acknowledgment.

“Go get some sleep. We leave at 0600.” Slade said.

 

Oliver marched over to his cot and sat down, taking one last glance at the photograph he’d been carrying.

“Don’t worry.” Slade said. “You’ll be back with your girlfriend there soon enough.”

Oliver slipped the photo into his shirt pocket and lied down, falling asleep almost instantly.

 

In the next instant, Oliver found himself laying on a comfortable bed, in an elegant room, with sunlight streaming in through fine windows. He rolled over onto his side and saw Laurel Lance laying next to him.

 

“Good morning.” Laurel said to him.

“Please don’t hate me.” Oliver said.

“Why would I hate you?” Laurel asked.

“Because I cheated on you with Sara.” Oliver said.

“Did it hurt, Ollie?” Laurel asked.

“Did what hurt?” Oliver asked.

“When they killed you.” Laurel said.

Oliver felt a stream of...something...on his face. He reached up and tapped his forehead, then looked at his hand and saw blood.

 

With that visual, Oliver was jolted awake and saw Slade standing over him, with a hand on his shoulder.

“Rise and shine.” Slade said quietly before walking off.

 

Oliver climbed out of bed and Slade tossed him a pair of backpacks. Oliver caught them with ease, and Slade turned to an open crate next to him. Slade grabbed a silenced sniper rifle and slung it over his shoulder, then picked up his mask and stared at it for a moment, before tossing it back into the crate and closing the box.

“Come on. We’re moving out.” Slade said.

 

Slade stepped out of the plane quickly, and Oliver followed, slinging his bags onto his back. The two jogged out of the clearing, and ran through the woods at a brisk pace.

“Hey, can we, um...can we rest for a second?” Oliver asked.

“You can rest on the plane.” Slade told him.

“Gosh, well, really looking forward to that in-flight movie.” Oliver joked.

As Oliver followed Slade, he suddenly heard a click and stopped in his tracks.

“Oh, god.” Oliver said.

“Don’t move!” Slade ordered.

“Is it a mine?” Oliver asked as Slade set down his sniper and moved over to him.

 

Slade fell onto his side next to Oliver’s foot and began scooping up the dirt beneath him, revealing an old, green landmine.

“Yeah.” Slade said.

“Did the soldiers mine the island?” Oliver asked.

“No, it’s probably Japanese. Left over from World War Two.” Slade explained. “Still active. Impressive.”

“Can you disarm it?” Oliver asked.

“Without disarming you?” Slade replied. Slade looked at the mine for a moment then began to hear chatter coming their way. “Soldiers.”

“Can they see us?” Oliver asked.

Slade quickly took Oliver’s bags and backed away from him.

“They can only see you.” Slade said.

“Wait! Stop!” Oliver hissed under his breath.

 

As Slade disappeared into the trees, Oliver reached into his pocket and pulled out his balaclava, quickly slipping it on. The soldiers surrounded him quickly, with the leader staring at him.

 

“What are you doing so far from camp?” The leader asked.

“I got separated from my unit.” Oliver lied.

“Come with us.” The leader said

“Uh...I-I can’t.” Oliver said, gesturing to the mine. “I’m kind of having a bad day, you know?”

 

The leader kneeled down to look at the mine, and Oliver heard a guttural, primal yell and saw Slade running towards him. He ducked down, covering his head with his hands. Slade quickly stabbed the leader in the back, then slit the throat of another soldier before spinning around and stabbing the last member of the group. Oliver pulled up his balaclava and looked at Slade.

“Be still.” Slade said.

 

Slade then pushed the body of the leader onto the mine, knocking Oliver back in the process. The mine remained still and quiet, and Slade stood up slowly.

“Thanks.” Oliver said.

 

_Meanwhile_

_Fyers’ Camp_

 

Yao Fei marched through the camp quickly and entered Edward Fyers’ tent. Fyers looked up from his work.

 

“Yao Fei. Come in. Sit.” Fyers said in his usual calm tone.

Yao Fei sat down, whilst Fyers stood up. Fyers opened a box behind him and pulled out Yao Fei’s bow.

“The first time I saw you with this contraption...I thought you looked utterly ridiculous.” Fyers said. “That is, until you took out three of my best men with it. That gave me some inspiration...so, twenty five compound bows will be arriving on tomorrow’s supply plane. I’d like you to train a few of my men on how to use them.”

“Archery can take years to master.” Yao Fei noted.

“Well, I trust you’ll be a proficient instructor.” Fyers replied. “That’ll be all.”

 

Fyers returned to his work, and Yao Fei stood up. As he stood up, he noted that there was a copy of “The Odyssey” on Fyers’ desk. He turned to leave the tent, and Billy Wintergreen entered in his usual garb. He stared at Wintergreen for a moment, and Wintergreen stared back.

“I hope you are steadfast in your commitment to our cause, Yao Fei, for her sake.” Fyers commented.

“I am.” Yao Fei said as he left the tent.

 

_Later that night_

 

Slade watched Oliver’s pathetic attempts to start a fire as he cleaned his gun.

 

“Obviously, you were never a boy scout.” Slade joked.

“Yeah? What tipped you off?” Oliver replied.

“We better hurry.” Slade said. “The wolves come out at night.”

“There are wolves here?” Oliver asked. “Right. Of course there are. Because what would the worst place on Earth be without wolves?!”

“The only thing that will keep them out, is fire.” Slade said.

“Well, you know, you’re welcome to help!” Oliver said.

 

Slade smiled and pulled a lighter out of his vest, flicking it on. He set it down on the twigs and pulled it back, snapping it shut.

 

“Seriously?” Oliver said with a slight groan. “I’ve been working on this for two hours.”

“I know. I was watching you.” Slade said. “There’s nothing more entertaining than watching a rich kid try to do something by himself.”

Oliver grumbled and leaned back, then pulled the photo of Laurel out and looked at it.

“This again?” Slade asked. “You’re gonna wear that thing out just by looking at it. Don’t worry, she’ll be waiting for flowers when you get back.”

“I doubt it.” Oliver said. “Remember how I told you I was shipwrecked here? Her sister was with me when the boat went down.”

“That’s funny. I never took you as being a bad boy.” Slade commented. “You seem to lack the spine.”

“That’s why I’ve gotta get home.” Oliver said. “To make this right.”

“Do you think you can sleep with your girlfriend’s sister and still make it right?” Slade asked. “You’re dumber than I thought. And believe me when I tell you...that is saying something.”

“Yeah, well, you don’t really strike me as the type of guy who accepts apologies, so...” Oliver said.

“Well, everybody is in this life for themselves.” Slade said.

“Learn that in Australian spy school?” Oliver asked.

“No. I learned that here.” Slade replied. “My partner turned on me without a second thought. Everybody...is in this life for themselves.”

 

Slade stood up and walked off, slinging his sniper over his shoulder.

“Come on. It’s time.” Slade said.

 

Oliver picked up the bags and followed Slade. The two went sneaking through the woods and reached the airstrip. The two ducked behind a pallet filled with various crates, and Slade pointed to the tower.

“If you let him radio camp, we’re done.” Slade reminded Oliver.

Slade pulled out one of his swords and handed it to Oliver.

“What about the others?” Oliver asked.

“You worry about your one.” Slade said. “I’ll worry about my ten.”

 

Oliver nodded and moved over to a nearby HUMVEE, ducking next to it. He pulled out his balaclava again, and pulled it over his face.

He moved over to a group of barrels and pressed himself against them. Two soldiers walked past him carrying a crate. Oliver heard a muffled gunshot and one of the soldiers fell over with a groan. The other soldier began to look around, but he soon fell along with him.

 

Oliver moved forward, but a soldier moved into his path. Oliver stared at him for a moment, tightening his grip on the sword. As he prepared to fight, he heard another quiet gunshot and the soldier fell.

Oliver moved again, hiding behind a set of ammo crates and looking over them. A soldier left the tower and began walking down the steps. Oliver saw a tiny splash of blood come from the man, and the soldier slipped and fell down the stairs. Another soldier looked over and began to investigate, but he was killed as well.

 

Oliver rushed forward and began slowly climbing the stairs, the metal quietly clanking beneath his feet. He looked through the window in the door and saw one man sitting in the tower with a pair of bulky headphones on. Oliver grabbed the door handle and opened it, slowly and quietly. He walked over to the man quietly and prepared to attack, but the man noticed him.

 

He threw off his headphones as Oliver swung at him. He punched Oliver in the face, causing him to drop his sword. He quickly pulled out a gun and aimed it at Oliver’s head. Oliver grabbed the man’s wrist, causing him to drop the gun. The man punched Oliver again, pushing him into a computer monitor, then picked his gun back up. However, as he aimed at Oliver, another sword penetrated his chest, and he coughed before falling over. Slade stood over the man, still pointing his sword at him. Oliver pulled off his balaclava and looked at him.

 

“One job to do, and you manage to screw up even that.” Slade said.

 

Slade grabbed a phone hanging from the desk and put it back in its proper place.

“I’m gonna go make sure that everything is clear.” Slade said. “Stay here. Keep the door locked. Do not let anybody in except for me. You got that?”

“Yeah.” Oliver replied.

Slade picked up the radio operator’s gun and handed it to Oliver.

“Here, keep this. And try not to shoot yourself by mistake.” Slade said.

 

Slade ran out of the tower, and shut the door behind him. Oliver sighed and set the gun down on the desk.

 

He looked over at the phone and suddenly had an idea. Slade wouldn’t like it, but this was his only chance to do it. He picked up the receiver on the phone, and dialed in Laurel Lance’s phone number.

“Hello?” Laurel said over the phone. “Hell-ooo?”

Oliver covered his mouth in shock.

“Is anybody there?” Laurel asked.

 

Oliver began to mouth a few words, when he heard crackling and rumbling. He looked up to see Slade ripping the phone out of the tower.

“Have you lost your mind?” Slade asked angrily. “They might be monitoring the calls.”

Slade glared at him for a moment before the radio interrupted him.

 

“Island Tower, this is Skyhawk 801 Foxtrot. We are seven hundred kilometers southeast of your position. ETA three hours, twenty two minutes. Over.” A voice said over the radio.

“Island Tower, Skyhawk 801 Foxtrot. Acknowledged.” Slade said over the radio.

No answer.

“Skyhawk 801 Foxtrot. Acknowledged.” Slade repeated.

“Of all creatures that breathe and move upon the Earth.” Skyhawk responded ominously.

“What is that?” Oliver asked.

“It’s a challenge code.” Slade told him. “They’re trying to verify our identity.”

Slade took a deep breath.

“Skyhawk 801 Foxtrot, please repeat.” Slade said.

“Of all creatures that breathe and move upon the Earth.” Skyhawk repeated.

“Wait.” Oliver said.

“What?” Slade asked.

“Wait, I know this. I know this.” Oliver whispered. “They-they picked the one book that I read in college!”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Slade replied.

“It’s a quote from The Odyssey.” Oliver explained. “Um…Of all creatures that breathe and move upon the Earth, nothing, nothing is born that is weaker than man.”

“Are you sure about this?” Slade asked. “Because if you’re wrong, this plane will turn around!”

“Yes. I’m positive.” Oliver said. “Nothing is born that is weaker than man. Say it.”

Slade clicked the radio on with a skeptical look on his face.

“Wait, wait, wait, wait!” Oliver interrupted. “It’s-it’s...s-s-sorry, sorry, sorry. Bred, not born. Bred. Nothing is bred that is weaker than man. That’s it.”

“Nothing is bred that is weaker than man.” Slade repeated.

 

Silence.

 

“Roger that. See you in a few hours. Out.” Skyhawk replied.

 

Slade let out a sigh.

 

“The Odyssey.” Slade said to himself.

“Yeah.” Oliver replied. “It’s, uh, well, it’s a story about a guy who’s trying to get home, so...”

“Well, after a few days at Landstuhl Airbase, you’ll be on your way home.” Slade said.

“You sound like you’re not coming with me.” Oliver said.

“I’ll be coming with you...after I radio in an airstrike on this location.” Slade said. “I’m going to send Fyers and all his men straight back to hell.”

“Wait.” Oliver said. “You can’t blow up the island. Yao Fei is still out there.”

“He is not my concern.” Slade hissed.

“Really?” Oliver asked. “He’s the only reason you came here! Rescuing him was your mission!”

“The mission has changed.” Slade said. “Edward Fyers is a mercenary, and he is not on this island by mistake. He has plans for me and you that involve Yao Fei, and whatever they are, they must end!”

“Yao Fei saved my life.” Oliver noted.

“That is your debt to repay, not mine.” Slade said.

 

Oliver began to walk out of the tower, but Slade grabbed him by the arm.

“Where are you going?!” Slade growled.

“All my life, all I’ve ever thought about is myself. I took my family for granted. I betrayed people that I loved.” Oliver said. “And I’m not gonna be that person anymore. I can’t leave Yao Fei here to die. I won’t.”

“The plane leaves in three hours.” Slade said. “If you and your friend are not on it, I am going to leave without you.”

Oliver nodded and began to leave.

“If I don’t make it back in time, and you get out of here...I want you to call my family.” Oliver said. “Call my family.”

“Sure, kid.” Slade said.

 

Oliver raced down the steps and began sprinting through the woods towards Fyers’ camp.

 

He reached the camp and crouched down, pressing himself against a truck. A trio of soldiers marched past, and didn’t notice him.

He moved forward and hid behind another truck. A HUMVEE rolled past Oliver and stopped near the truck. The men climbed out and entered a nearby tent.

Yao Fei turned a corner and Oliver looked over at him. Yao entered a tent and Oliver began to follow. Oliver slipped in and saw Yao Fei working with a map. Yao Fei stood up and stared at him.

 

“How did you-” Yao Fei began.

“Come on, let’s go.” Oliver said. “I’ll explain on the way.

“Stupid boy.” Yao Fei said. “You should never have come back here.”

“I found Slade Wilson, and he has a way off the island, but we have to go right now.” Oliver said.

“No. No!” Yao Fei said.

“What?” Oliver responded. “What do you mean, no? This is our chance. What-what reason could you possibly have for staying here?”

“Not what.” Yao Fei said. “Who.”

Edward Fyers entered the tent, and Yao Fei punched Oliver in the face, knocking him to the floor.

“Ah, Mr. Queen, I think it’s past time you left this island...permanently.” Fyers said, as Billy Wintergreen entered and looked down at him.

 

_Meanwhile_

_At the Airstrip_

 

“Island Tower, this is Skyhawk 801 Foxtrot, we are five thousand feet and holding. Over.” Skyhawk said over the radio.

“Skyhawk 801 Foxtrot. This is Island Tower.” Slade replied. “You are clear to land.”

“Roger that.” Skyhawk said.

Slade looked around and glanced at his watch. The kid was running out of time.

‘ _Where is that idiot?’_ Slade thought.

 

_Fyers’ Camp_

 

Fyers pushed Oliver into a circle of soldiers and Oliver turned to face him.

 

“Simply to satisfy my own curiosity...why aren’t you already dead?” Fyers asked. “I saw Yao Fei choke you to death.”

“I guess he’s not as strong as he looks.” Oliver quipped. The soldiers chuckled.

“Still, you return for him.” Fyers said. “So you’re either a fool, or is it possible you now think yourself a hero?”

“I’m not a hero.” Oliver said.

“Of course not.” Fyers replied. “It’s not possible to be a hero when there’s nobody worthy of saving.”

Fyers stepped out of the circle.

“Is this what you want?” Oliver asked. “Did you want me to fight him again?”

“Oh, no, Mr. Queen. That’s where you’re mistaken.” Fyers said. “This is not a match. It’s an execution.”

“I’m sorry.” Yao Fei said.

Oliver turned around slowly and saw Billy Wintergreen staring at him, his menacing mask covering his face.

“It’s Wintergreen, right?” Oliver said. “Bill Wintergreen?”

 

Billy smacked Oliver in the face, and he doubled over.

 

“I know all about you.” Oliver said. “I know you worked for the Australian government and that you used to fight for your country! You used to stand for something!”

 

Billy attacked Oliver again, punching him rapidly and repeatedly. He pulled out his sword and quickly cut the ropes around Oliver’s wrists. He kicked Oliver in the chest and then grabbed him by the neck.

“Whatever he’s paying you, I’ll triple it.” Oliver rasped.

 

Billy continued choking him, until he was interrupted by an explosion in the camp, followed by gunshots. The soldiers scattered as another explosion rocked the camp and Fyers crouched down.

“How many of them are there?!” Fyers barked into his radio.

 

Oliver scampered away and Slade walked up to Wintergreen.

 

“Slade. Come back to die?” Billy asked.

 

Slade pulled out his sword and charged Billy, swinging his sword over his head. Billy and Slade’s swords clashed, and Slade kicked Billy. He swung his sword at Billy again, and he dodged. He then punched Billy in the face, staggering him slightly. Billy attempted to stab Slade, and missed. He then kicked Slade and swung his sword, but Slade blocked it. Slade kicked Billy back and the duo circled each other.

 

“Was it so easy to betray me, Billy?” Slade asked. “Was the money that tempting to you?”

 

Slade charged towards Billy, and Billy kicked him, sending him to the ground. Billy swung his sword downward, and Slade rolled out of the way. He punched Billy in the gut, then the back. He stood up and punched him in the face...and kept punching him. Then he grabbed Billy by his vest.

“Well, Billy...you always had a good kick.” Slade remarked.

 

And then, in one swift motion, Slade stabbed Billy in the eye, finishing him. Billy went limp and fell onto his back, the sword still protruding from his eye socket.

 

Slade turned around and was suddenly shot in the arm. He stumbled forward towards Oliver, and Oliver set him down. He saw Fyers firing a pistol at them, and picked up a nearby assault rifle, and began shooting at Fyers. Fyers ducked behind a Land Rover, and Oliver lifted Slade up, holding the rifle with one hand. He continued firing and led Slade away from the camp. He tossed the assault rifle away and threw Slade’s good arm over his shoulder. The duo heard a loud whirring sound and watched as the supply plane passed over their heads.

 

“There goes our ride.” Slade said. “Let’s just go back to the fuselage.”

  
_Later that day_

 

Slade hissed and yelled as Oliver attempted to dig out the bullet in his arm with a combat knife. The bullet came flying out and landed on the floor with a clink. Oliver set the knife aside and Slade took slow, ragged breaths.

 

“I’m impressed.” Slade said. “You didn’t puke.”

“I swallowed it.” Oliver replied with a cough.

“You can untie me now.” Slade said.

Oliver quickly undid the rope around Slade’s wrist and tossed it aside.

“Why’d you want me to tie you up in the first place?” Oliver asked.

“A man in pain is unreliable.” Slade said as he inspected his wound. “I was afraid I might kill you. Thanks...by the way.”

Oliver looked around and began to chuckle.

“What?” Slade asked.

“I’m trapped on an island and my only friend is named Wilson. It’s ironic.” Oliver explained. “What now?”

“We hope my fireworks show set Fyers back.” Slade said. “Maybe enough for those who hired him in the first place to call things off.”

“Hired him?” Oliver asked.

“Fyers is a merc. He follows the money.” Slade said. “So he’s on this island under someone’s employ.”

“Well, what are we going to do?” Oliver asked.

“We have to make sure neither of us dies on this godforsaken island.” Slade said.

“I thought you said if we didn’t get on the plane, we weren’t gonna make it.” Oliver noted.

“Well, that dumb kid that I trained-He never would have made it. But you?” Slade said, extending his hand. “You might just have a chance.”

Oliver smiled and shook Slade’s hand.

 

_Later that day_

_Fyers’ Camp_

 

“Yep, it’s Fyers.” Edward said into his satellite phone.

“Satellites showed multiple heat blooms on the island.” A voice on the other end said. “What the hell is happening there?”

“There was a...complication.” Fyers said.

“Slade Wilson?” The man guessed.

“I’m handling it.” Fyers said.

“Handle it better.” The man said menacingly. “I’ve worked too hard and planned for too long to have complications arise so close to the end.”

“I assure you it won’t happen again.” Fyers said.

“What of Yao Fei?” The man asked.

“I’ve ensured his cooperation.” Fyers assured him.

“Good. I’ve paid you a lot of money, Fyers.” The man said. “I expect a return on my investment.”

 

The man hung up, and Yao Fei walked up to Fyers.

 

“You sent for me.” Yao Fei said.

“I’m a man of my word.” Fyers said. “You made the right call today turning in your young castaway. And for that, I’ll grant you five minutes.”

Yao Fei nodded and walked past him and into the tent. His daughter was lying on the floor, tied up.

“Shado?” Yao Fei said as he walked towards her. “Shado!”

“ _Father?_ _Father?_ ” Shado replied in Chinese.

“ _I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.”_ Yao replied.

“ _Father, what’s happening?”_ Shado asked, sobbing.

Yao Fei shushed her.

“ _It will be over soon.”_ Yao Fei assured her. Shado nodded, and Yao Fei gripped her tight.

 

_Meanwhile_

_UNKNOWN LOCATION, California_

 

Amanda Waller took a sip of her whiskey and turned her attention to her computer screen. Edward Fyers’ handler was conferencing with her over the internet.

“Tell Fyers we’ll compensate him for the damages to his camp. That should keep him quiet.” Waller said.

“Yes, ma’am.” The handler said.

“And get me info on Oliver Queen. He seems to have certain...talents...that may one day be of use to us.” Waller said.

“Anything else to do?” The handler asked.

“No, that will be all.” Waller said. “Remember, keep this quiet. If we noticed that incident, I’m certain other countries will notice it too. And if anyone discovers the United States government is attached to this, it’ll set diplomacy in southeast Asia back decades.”

 

The man nodded and the call ended. The window closed and the monitor was replaced with a variety of photographs of a Chinese woman with stark, white hair. Most of them had a red stamp over them that said “TOP PRIORITY.” Waller took another sip of her whiskey and leaned back in her chair.

“I’m coming for you.” Waller thought aloud.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, you're probably wondering why this chapter is so long.  
> I'll tell you why.  
> It's because I'm putting this work on hiatus until further notice and I wanna leave it off at a decent point.  
> I feel like I've lost my touch when it comes to writing this. Perhaps I never had it.  
> And honestly? Doing a novelization of Arrow feels like cheating. It's already written out for me, I just have to transfer it from TV to writing.   
> I need some time to figure stuff out.
> 
> In the meantime,  
> If you (For some stupid ass reason) want to hear me fanboy over game design, writing and music, you can find me on Twitter-https://twitter.com/Zwill711  
> If you want to see my crappy opinions on anime and vidya gaems, you can check out my blog - http://pointofinteres.blogspot.com/


	10. Hook, Line And...No Sinker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As a new arc begins, Slade and Oliver deal with the aftermath of their failed escape.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back!  
> After a few months of hating myself and wanting to burn all my old writing to the ground, I'm finally getting back to writing this, as I feel I have an obligation to finish it.  
> There's a couple things I want to improve upon from here on out-  
> Fight scenes! I wanna add more detail-loads more.  
> C O N S I S T E N C Y with the show. I'll be using the Arrowverse wiki liberally.  
> I want more detail, just in general.  
> And finally, pacing! For fucks sake, my pacing is a mess. It's horribly inconsistent.
> 
> With my goals for this outlined, enjoy the new chapters!

**Chapter Ten – Hook, Line And...No Sinker**

 

Oliver knelt down and poured water from a canteen into a small, metal cup. Multiple days had passed since Oliver and Slade tried, and failed, to take Fyers’ airstrip and Slade didn’t appear to be recovering from his wounds. Oliver stood up, cup in hand, and walked over to Slade’s weak, coughing form before crouching down next to him.

“Hey...hey!” Oliver said, offering the cup to him. “Drink this.”

Slade slowly chugged the water, then abruptly spat it out, turning to Oliver.

“That tastes like dirt!” Slade groaned.

“You’ve gotta stay hydrated, okay?” Oliver argued.

“Hydration is not my problem.” Slade hissed. “My problem is getting a bullet dug out of my arm with a dull blade!”

“Let me check it.” Oliver said as he set down the cup, reached over and peeled off part of the bandage. 

The wound had turned a putrid, greenish color, and a disgusting liquid had seeped onto the bandage. Oliver groaned at the mere sight of it.

“It’s infected. Go figure.” Slade deduced.

Oliver collected himself and fixed the bandage, then rose to his feet.

“Yeah, uh...” Oliver said. “...I gotta stop that before it spreads.”

He picked up the cup, placed it on a crate and then grabbed a knife and its accompanying sheath,  along with a flashlight .

“When you swing past the drugstore for those anti-biotics, get me a copy of Maxim...or maybe a Sports Illustrated.” Slade joked through labored, pained breaths. Oliver slipped the knife into his belt and turned back to Slade.

“Yao Fei had these super herbs back in the cave that’d heal anything.” Oliver explained. “I’m gonna go get ‘em.”

“You’re not gonna last an hour out there.” Slade whispered, panting.

“Well, then you’d better hope I get back in forty-five minutes.” Oliver retorted.

Oliver stepped out of the fuselage, and Slade watched as he headed out into the dense  forest.

 

A fter  a long walk through the forest, made even longer by Fyers’ patrols throughout the island, Oliver returned to the cave, and found himself in total darkness. The fires that once roared through the tiny cave were now extinguished, and long dead.  Oliver pulled out his flashlight and clicked it on.  He heard a noise to his left and shone the flashlight towards that area. To his surprise, he found a man with dark skin and short, buzzed hair tied up, battered and kneeling in the cave.

“Help me.” The man said as Oliver walked up to him and shone the light on him.

“Who are you?” Oliver asked.

“My name’s Alan Durand, I’m an-I’m an exchange student.” He said frantically. “I was on a fishing excursion with my class. We got lost...and our boat caught fire. We had uh, some mechanic malfunc-malfunction, we had to jump ship.”

“When?” Oliver asked sternly.

“Two days ago.” Alan replied. “It was awful. I thought I was gonna die.”

Alan began sobbing and Oliver let out a sigh.

“Where are the other students?” Oliver asked. “Where’s the boat’s crew, huh?”

“I think I’m the only one who made it. I managed to get to shore, I thought I was lucky, but...” Alan said.

“What? Somebody found you?” Oliver finished. “Soldiers or-”

“Yes!” Alan interrupted, still bawling his eyes out. “They had these masks on and th-they attacked me and beat me! Then they left me here! Who are they?!”

Oliver stared at him for a moment, silently contemplating the situation Alan was in.

‘ _It’s too convenient. Fyers must have left him here to trap me.’_ Oliver thought. _‘It’s not right...but I’ll have to leave him here.’_

“You can untie me at any point, by the way.” Alan said, interrupting Oliver’s thoughts. Oliver simply continued to stare at him. “Wh-what? Do you think these men planted me here, like some sorta trap?!”

“Well, then why were you left here, huh?” Oliver questioned. “Why didn’t they just kill you or throw you in a cage?”

“They got called away!” Alan argued. “So-some altercation somewhere else on the island! If they come back, they’ll murder both of us! Please, you have to believe me!”

Oliver looked at him for a few seconds then gestured for him to turn around. He bent down and put the knife to the rope, and held it there.

‘ _No, no...don’t do this.’_ He thought as he held the knife. _‘It’s a trap, Oliver. Don’t let your conscience get the better of you. Remember what Slade taught you.’_

Oliver pulled the knife back and sheathed it, then rose to his feet.

“I’m sorry...but I can’t.” Oliver said.

“What?! Why?!” Alan yelled.

“Because I don’t know you.” Oliver said in a serious tone.

Oliver walked over to the old campfire and picked up the bag of herbs off the floor. He slipped them into his pocket and turned to leave the cave, as Alan screamed and yelled for him to come back.

 

Oliver walked back to the fuselage and re-entered. Slade was still laying on his improvised bed on the floor.

“Hey, whaddya know? You made it back in forty-five minutes.” Slade joked. “If we were betting on this, you’d probably be a rich man by now. Well, slightly richer anyway.”

“Good to see you too.” Oliver retorted. “I’ve got the herbs. I’ll have them ready in a minute.”

 

Oliver walked over to a crate and dropped his flashlight and knife in. He grabbed the cup of water he’d left there and carried it over to the canteen, then pulled the bag of herbs out of his pocket and opened it. He pulled out the herbs, sprinkling them in ever so delicately, then filled the cup with water from the canteen. He returned to Slade, and offered him the cup. Slade gulped it down and let out a sigh.

“It tastes like an ashtray...but it did the job.” Slade said. “I owe you one.”

Oliver stood silently, and Slade read his expression like it was a book.

“You didn’t get into any trouble out there, did you?” Slade asked.

“Hmm? No, not a bit.” Oliver lied.

 

_Meanwhile_

_Fyers’ Camp_

 

A lan Durand sat in fear, as his commanding officer sat across from him and poured  a soda into a fine, glass cup .

“I want you to understand something, Mr. Durand.” Edward Fyers said calmly. “I am generally a forgiving man. I believe in due process and allowing people to explain themselves. Do you understand that?”

“Y-yes, sir.” Alan said meekly as Fyers set down the can of soda, rested his hands on the table and stared at him.

“Excellent. Then I want you to explain how you failed to capture Oliver Queen.” Fyers said. “This plan was supposed to take advantage of his compassionate side...and yet he left you for dead. Explain that.”

“I-it was Wilson, sir.” Alan said.

“It was Slade’s fault? How so?” Fyers asked.

“He’s trained Queen. He’s made him paranoid, suspicious of anyone he doesn’t know.” Alan elaborated.

Fyers nodded in acknowledgment.

“You are dismissed. Return to your post in the radio tent.” Fyers ordered.

Alan nodded, then stood up and left the tent. Fyers took a swig of his drink and leaned back in his chair.

‘ _So, it would appear that Mr. Queen has wizened up under Slade’s tutelage.’_ Fyers thought. _‘He may become more of a threat than I previously anticipated.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you folks enjoyed that chapter.  
> It's a bit filler-esque, but I think it gets better next chapter.


	11. I’ve Come To Bargain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver and Slade discover Fyer's plot and find a new companion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last of the two chapters I pre-wrote.   
> I think this one came out better than the last chapter, but that's just me, and my opinions are trash and should never be trusted.

**Secrets Of Lian Yu**

 

**Chapter Eleven – I’ve Come To Bargain**

 

Oliver grunted with exertion as he did a pull up on a beam in the fuselage’s ceiling. He slowly lifted his head over the beam, let out a sigh and let go, dropping onto the floor with a light thump. Slade held up four fingers, while leaning back casually in his chair.

“Four. You can do more.” Slade said.

“I’m more of a runner.” Oliver argued.

Slade hopped up from his chair and jumped up to the bar with ease, grabbing it with both of his meaty, thick hands. He pulled himself up and over the bar with ease, over and over again, as Oliver stood and watched.

“Why are you suddenly in the mood to work out?” Oliver asked. “Those herbs make you a gym-rat all of a sudden?”

“What else is there to do?” Slade retorted snarkily, continuing his pull-ups.

“We can try and think of another way off the island.” Oliver offered.  
“There’s no other way.” Slade replied. “If there was...I woulda found it.”

“Well, we can’t just sit here and wait for Fyers to come and kill us.” Oliver said.

Slade dropped to the floor with a loud thud and turned to face Oliver, his dark, tan skin now glistening with sweat beads.

“I did have one idea.” Slade said. “If you go into the forest and gather as much bamboo as you can find...we could build a boat, like they did on the old show about the blokes that get stuck on an island.”

“Very funny.” Oliver said in a deadpan tone.

 

As Oliver crossed his arms and tried to think of ways to escape, an object in the fuselage caught his eye. To his left sat what appeared to be an old server rack, filled with wiring and circuitry, with a radio system sitting on top. Oliver walked over and looked it over, then grabbed his shirt sleeve and wiped off the dust. Oliver flicked the various, myriad switches on and off, but to no avail.

“Broken.” Slade interjected. “Broke it during the crash.”

“Did you try to fix it? At all?” Oliver asked rudely.

“You should know by now that I specialize in ripping things apart, not putting them together.” Slade said.

Oliver kneeled down and scampered around to the back of the radio and began rearranging the wires.

“You think you can fix that piece of crap?” Slade asked.

“My father was a pilot. He used to do his own maintenance.” Oliver told him.

“So, you’re just gonna hope aircraft maintenance skills are a genetic trait?” Slade replied. “Good luck with that, kid.”

“No, I used to help him and I liked it, then I got pretty good at it!” Oliver retorted. “So maybe...I can make the radio work.”

“That’s a waste of time.” Slade said as he returned to his workout. “You should be training, for the inevitable fight that’s looming.”

“I think I have a better chance of making the radio work.” Oliver responded.

 

Oliver toiled over the radio for countless days, tearing it apart and putting it back together repeatedly. As he worked mindlessly, Slade slipped into the fuselage carrying a large stick with a large wolf carcass attached.

“Hope you like barbecue!” Slade said. “It’s about the only option for food on this damn island.”

Oliver acted as if Slade wasn’t there, fully engrossed in his work.

“Don’t fall over yourself thanking me for spending six hours up a bloody tree, so we can eat!” Slade grumbled sarcastically.

Oliver broke out of his trance and turned to Slade.

“Huh? Y-yeah, great, I’ll eat later.” Oliver said half-heartedly.

“You’ve been at that for days. Give it a rest.” Slade said.

“It’s because I can do this.” Oliver thought aloud.

“Heh, sure...when pigs fly.” Slade replied.

Slade prepared to set down the carcass and prepare his dinner when he heard a click followed by static behind him. Slade sighed in exasperation.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me.” Slade said to himself.

Slade dropped the corpse where he stood, turned around and sprinted over to the radio.

“Can you clean this up, get rid of the static?” Slade asked frantically.

“I-I dunno!” Oliver said with a wide smile. “I dunno how I got this far!”

The two leaned in to listen to the voices on the radio.

“Continue approach. We’re Six-Three Heavy.” A strange voice said over the radio.

Slade picked up the transmitter and held it up to his face.   
“Mayday, mayday, mayday.” Slade said as he held down the button. “This is Wedgetail 325, pilot and passenger down.”

“Of course, Six-Three Heavy, cleared to land.” A woman said over the receiver after a short delay. “Runway two-seven right, wind two-sixty degrees, ten knots.”

“I repeat, pilot and passenger down on the island of Lian Yu!” Slade said. “Request immediate rescue.”

“Clear to land, runway two-seven right.” A man repeated.

Slade slammed down the transmitter and frowned. Oliver turned to him.

“They can’t hear us...which means we can’t call out.” Slade explained. “We’re still trapped.”

 

Slade grunted and walked back to the carcass he was carrying and pulled a knife out of a strap on his thigh, and slowly pushed it into the beast’s hide. Oliver squeezed his temples and stood up, then walked over to Slade to get a fire started.

 

The next morning, Oliver woke up to the sound of screeching static next to him. He opened his eyes slowly and lifted himself up, resting on his elbow. He looked over and saw Slade gently turning the dials on the radio.

“W-what are you doing?” Oliver asked groggily as he sat up.

“I’m looking for more radio signals.” Slade said quietly as he continued fidgeting with the radio.

“If they can’t hear us, then what’s the point?” Oliver questioned.

“Wait.” Slade said, holding up his hand and freezing. “You might have stumbled across something good here.”

“Oh-five-hundred hours from my mark. Final deployment is five by five.” A male voice said over the receiver.

Oliver jolted out of bed and sprinted to the radio.

“That’s Fyers!” Oliver said attentively.

“I’m tuned into their frequency. Here, listen.” Slade said.

“Scylla is en route.” Another voice said. “ETA oh-six-hundred hours at the southwest bay.”

“I’ll call you when Scylla is in my possession. Fyers out.” Edward replied.

Slade clicked off the radio and let out a deep breath.

“Who was Fyers talking to?” Oliver asked.

“I dunno.” Slade said as he moved to fetch his gear. “Sounds like someone on the mainland. Likely his benefactor. More importantly-Who or what is Scylla?”

“The Scylla and Charybdis.” Oliver responded quickly. “It’s another reference to The Odyssey. One of uh-one of the nightmare chapters. Scylla was a monster.”

Slade grabbed his swords, sheathing them quickly, then turned to exit the fuselage.

“I wanna meet this monster.” Slade said with a devious smile. “Am I going alone?”

Oliver smiled back at him and followed him out, grabbing his knife and vest as he left.

 

The two snuck through the forest quickly. Oliver had quickly become accustomed to this routine, and had many of the twisting paths and trails memorized. They found a cliff overlooking Fyer’s compound and went prone. Slade pulled out a pair of binoculars and looked down at the base, then let out a heavy sigh.

“Wh-what is it?” Oliver asked.

“You were right.” Slade whispered. “Scylla is a monster.”

He pointed to a large, forest green, tracked truck with a turret on the back.

“See that? That’s a Russian-made S300 anti-aircraft missile launcher.” Slade explained. “It can track up to a hundred targets at once...whilst engaging at least a dozen. I mean, from here, they could shoot down a commercial airliner...or start a war.”

“Holy shit.” Oliver muttered.

“It gets worse, kid.” Slade continued. “One-just one-of those missiles has an effective range of up to twenty four hundred kilometers. And that’s why we’re not going anywhere until we figure out what that fat, British bastard is planning.”

“Wild guess?” Oliver began. “He’s planning on blowing something up.”

“Just one of those could do that job.” Slade said, glaring at Oliver. “But this? This is about sparking a war.”

“With who?” Oliver asked.

“What does that matter?” Slade said. “We’ve gotta take that thing out before thousands of innocent people die.”

“There’s tons of soldiers down there. Even if we get through all of them, we can’t, like, steal an entire missile launcher.” Oliver protested.

Slade looked through his binoculars again and saw soldiers carrying boxes of fragile explosives, and an idea began to form in his head.  
“Who said anything about stealing it?” Slade thought aloud.

“What do we do then?” Oliver asked. “Ambush?”

“Can’t take out all six without radioing for backup.” Slade noted.

“What if we could get all the soldiers into one place?” Oliver asked.

Slade ran his thumb under his lips, quietly contemplating the idea.

“That would work.” Slade muttered. “But we’d need bait. Tell me, do you still have that balaclava in your vest?”

“Yeah, why?” Oliver asked as he pulled out his balaclava and displayed it.

“You’re gonna go in there, dragging me in front of you.” Slade explained. “You’re gonna claim you captured me. And then...we’ll raise hell. Got it?”

Oliver nodded in agreement.

“Good. Then let’s go.”

 

The two marched down the cliff to the base. Slade wrapped his arms behind his back, and Oliver pushed him into the base.

“Hey!” Oliver shouted. “I found an intruder while I was circling the perimeter!”

The soldiers in the base turned and looked at him, then walked over quickly.

“Look. It’s Wilson.” One said. “You killed a few of my friends, you son of a bitch.”

“And I’m about to kill a few more.” Slade said, unfolding his arms to reveal a pair of pistols.

He quickly shot the four in front of him, then eliminated the other two in rapid succession. Slade smirked deviously at Oliver and holstered his pistols.

“Come on, we’ve got a job.” Slade said.

Oliver nodded and the two ran over to the missile launcher. Slade picked up a crate of explosives and set it on the back of the vehicle. He grabbed a nearby crowbar and forced the wooden box open. He handed Oliver three bricks of C4, and took the other half for himself.

“Place these around the launcher.” Slade told him. “Quickly! Their friends will be here any minute.

Oliver ran around the side of the truck and began placing the explosives when he was interrupted by the radio sitting on the turret.

“We’re sixty seconds out from the launcher.” A man said.

“Set your final charges and we’ll blow it!” Slade shouted.

‘ _Wait. Isn’t there a way to just disable it?’_ Oliver thought as he prepared the wiring for the C4. 

 

He abandoned the charges and ran to the back of the truck.  He peeked inside the storage box, then slid out the tray holding the  electronics for the launcher .  He pulled out a small, silver device and glanced at it.

“I think I have a better idea!” Oliver said.

“What are you doing?!” Slade growled, looking straight at Oliver.

“I’m taking the circuit board.” Oliver explained, displaying the device. “Computers won’t work without one and neither will this.”’

S lade chuckled  and grabbed the radio,  then turned to Oliver .

“You just stole us a bargaining chip.” Slade said smugly.

 

H e then took off with the radio, disappearing back into the woods, and Oliver followed.  The two traveled through the woods, and Slade led Oliver to a hollowed-out stump. 

“Put it in here.” Slade said. “This used to be your pal Yao Fei’s secret stash.”

Oliver nodded and slipped the circuit board into the stump.  He then kneeled down and picked up a handful of leaves and stuffed it into the stump, hiding the device from view.

“Now what?” Oliver asked. 

“Now we wait until dark and we make our demands to Fyers.” Slade said.

 

That night, the two returned to the cliff and hunched down behind a large rock.  Slade handed the radio to Oliver.

“This was your idea.” Slade said. “It’s your call.”

Oliver clicked the radio on and held it up to his face.

“Fyers.” Oliver said.

A few moments passed, with nothing but silence.

“Mr. Queen.” Fyers said, breaking the silence. “I thought I’d be hearing from you.”

“We have the circuit board.” Oliver said.

“We are painfully aware, Mr. Queen.” Fyers said. “You have made a grave mistake. My men are scouring the island for you as we speak. And when they find you, they’ll kill you. Very slowly, I’m afraid.”

“If your guys kill us, you’ll never find the circuit board.” Oliver threatened. “And we both know that if that happens, all you’ll be left with is a really ugly piece of modern art.”

S lade snicked quietly as Oliver spoke  the last line .

“Then what do you propose?” Fyers asked.

“A trade.” Oliver said.

“I see.” Fyers said. “And what do you want in exchange?”

“I want a way off the island.” Oliver said sternly. “It’s a simple exchange. You get us off this island, and we’ll give you the circuit board so your missile launcher is more than a lawn ornament.”

“You’ve grown up quite a bit, Mr. Queen, I’ll give you that.” Fyers replied. “I can get you a boat. But I’ll need time.”

“You got an hour, Fyers-” Oliver started, as Slade yanked the radio out of his hands.

“We understand it’ll take you more than an hour to get a boat.” Slade finished. “What we mean is that you need to move with some speed.”

“Ah, Wilson. Still in command there, eh?” Fyers responded. “I thought your little pet had staged a coup d’etat.”

“Just get us the damn boat.” Slade said as he clicked off the radio. 

S lade grunted and glared at Oliver.

“You’re an idiot sometimes.” Slade said, walking off without him.

 

T he next morning, Oliver and Slade received word that the boat was ready, and headed out into the woods to meet with Fyers. They watched as he and his men, Yao Fei included, walked up to them  in the clearing .

“Gentlemen, welcome.” Fyers said. “So happy we were able to reach an accord.”

“Small talk, my favorite. We gonna get on with this?” Slade replied.

“As you wish, straight to business.” Fyers said. “The circuit board-where is it?”

“Somewhere safe.” Oliver answered. “Get us to the boat and we’ll tell you where it is.”

“You’ll be honest about its location, correct?” Fyers asked.

“I wouldn’t be.” Slade said. “But this one’s got this thing for principles and integrity.”

“I thought as much...” Fyers said. “...which is why I’d like to make a counter proposal. Men!”

O n his cue,  two of  Fyers’ men dragged Yao Fei’s daughter,  Shado, into the clearing, kicking and fighting.  They kicked her in the legs and brought her to her knees.

“No...no!” Yao Fei protested.

As he tried to move towards his daughter, Fyers’ men quickly subdued Yao Fei,  pushing him to the dirt and holding him down .  Fyers pointed his pistol at him and turned towards Oliver.

“Deliver the circuit board to me, or she dies!” Fyers threatened. “I can’t imagine you’d want the death of an innocent young woman on your hands. Not with your...principles.”

S lade raised his pistol in response, and the mercenaries focused their aim on him.

“Let the girl go.” Slade growled menacingly.

“No deal?” Fyers responded.

Slade didn’t move an inch.

“Very well, kill her.” Fyers ordered.

Slade prepared to open fire, but much to the surprise of both him and Oliver, Shado began retaliating against her captors. She grabbed the arm of one and pulled, knocking him down, then smacked the other with her elbow. She climbed onto him and pulled him downwards, while using her legs to keep the other at bay and maintain her balance. She pulled her target to the ground and began crushing his windpipe. Meanwhile, Slade opened fire with his pistol, taking out the soldier in front of him. Another soldier attempted to ambush Slade, but Oliver intercepted him, pushing him against a tree and punching him in the face. The soldier temporarily pushed him off, but Oliver tackled him and began wrestling with him in the dirt. Yao Fei, meanwhile, had broken free and began choking one of the soldiers using his thighs.

 

A s Fyers moved in to finish the job,  Shado grabbed him by both arms and hit him in the chest with her knee. As he knelt on the ground, she began punching him repeatedly.  She then jumped onto his shoulders, wrapped her legs around his head and arched her spine backwards, pulling him down and incapacitating him.  As the battle died down, she stood up and walked over to Slade.

“Well, that was unexpected.” Slade said.

“Slade! Look!” Oliver shouted.

As he yelled, reinforcements arrived and began firing at the group. Slade and Oliver turned and began to run, as Yao Fei and  Shado  tagged along.  As they ran, a stray bullet tagged Yao Fei in his ankle. The party took cover behind a log as the men continued firing.

“Get her to safety! Now!” Yao Fei barked at Oliver. “Go!”

“Just run! Go!” Slade said.

Oliver nodded quickly and grabbed  Shado , dragging her away from him.  The trio ran through the forest until the sound of gunfire died and their pursuers stopped following them. On the way back to the fuselage, the three stopped at the stash with the circuit board.  Oliver reached into the stump and pulled out the pile of leaves, tossing them out onto the ground. He reached in again, but the circuit board wasn’t there. 

“Slade...circuit board’s gone.” Oliver said in a grim tone.

S lade marched past Oliver, pushing him out of the way, and shined a flashlight into the stash. Like Oliver said, the circuit board was gone.

“Damn it. Fyers played us.” Slade said. “While he was screwing us around, his men were combing the woods...and now his missile launcher is fully operational!”

“And he was never gonna let us off the island, I get it!” Oliver replied.

“Of course he wasn’t gonna help you!” Shado chimed in. “He couldn’t chance you warning the mainland about what he has planned.”

“She speaks English.” Oliver thought aloud. “Well, guess what? Neither of us have any idea what his plans are!”

“I do.” She replied. “I know what he’s planning.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After five months in development, hopefully this will have been worth the wait. Enjoy the new chapters, and thanks for reading!


	12. Cue The Obligatory Training Montage!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver prepares to face Fyers, and learns more about Shado and Yao Fei in the process.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be honest, this is not my best work. I'm not good at romance and the pacing feels...off. But it's still better than some of the garbage I made when I was younger.  
> Enjoy the chapter!

**Secrets Of Lian Yu**

 

**Chapter Twelve – Cue The Obligatory Training Montage!**

 

Oliver sat in silence in the fuselage and fidgeted with a black longbow he’d found as Shado and Slade sparred, contemplating the events of the last few days. He and Slade had discovered, thanks to their new ally, that Fyers needed Yao Fei for something, and he was being forced to help him. As he sat, Shado wrestled with Slade and forced him to the floor and held her fist just above his face.

 

“Mind teaching me that one?” Slade joked.

“Only if you show me where the knife was.” Shado replied.

Slade pulled his knife away from her back, and she helped him to his feet.

“Who taught you how to fight?” Slade asked as he stretched out his arms.

“My father wanted a son.” Shado responded.

“Looks to me like he got something even better.” Slade said.

Shado walked over to get a drink of water from her canteen and saw Oliver with the bow.

“Be careful.” Shado warned. “The tension on that bow is one hundred and fifty pounds. Snap it, you’ll end up with carbon fiber shrapnel in your eyes.”

“She’s right. You’re not strong enough, kid. Stick to your knife, you’re good with that.” Slade said. “Wanna have another go?”

“You know, it’s pretty exciting that both of you are such badasses, but do you think that maybe we should be making a plan to stop Fyers and, I dunno, save your dad?” Oliver asked.

“Does he always whine this much?” Shado asked as she walked back to Slade.

“This is one of his good days.” Slade joked.

“Can he fight?” Shado said.

“I’ve tried to teach him. Never much success.” Slade told her.

“I’m sitting right here.” Oliver said, raising his hands in protest.

“I haven’t tried yet.” Shado said.

Slade chuckled as Shado walked over to a crate and began pushing it over to Oliver, setting it in front of him.

 

“What are you doing?” Oliver asked.

“You like that bow, right?” Shado responded.

“I-I guess, yeah.” Oliver answered.

“I’m going to teach you how to use it.” Shado said.

 

She then grabbed a bowl off another crate and set it on the improvised table. She then picked up one of Slade’s buckets filled with rainwater and began filling the bowl with water.

“Hold your hand up.” Shado said. “Palm facing me.”

Oliver raised his hand and stared at her with a look of skepticism.

“Hit the water.” Shado said.

“What?” Oliver replied.

“Hit it.” Shado repeated.

Oliver lightly slapped the water, causing it to splash out of the bowl.

“Again.” Shado said.

Oliver glared at her and repeated the motion.

“Again, harder!” Shado ordered.

“If the point of this is to make me feel like an idiot, it’s working.” Oliver said, before hitting the water again.

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Shado said.

“Confucius, great.” Oliver said. “I’m starting to see the family resemblance.”

Oliver groaned and reluctantly hit the water again.

“Laozi, actually.” Shado corrected. “Again.”

Oliver smacked the bowl yet again, knocking out the last of the water.

“Now what?” Oliver asked.

“Fill the bowl. Start again.” Shado said.

Oliver sighed, then stood up and grabbed another bucket of water.

‘ _Why does this family have to be so damn vague about everything?’_ Oliver thought.

 

_The next day_

 

Oliver watched in silence as Shado stood on her hands with her legs crossed in the air.

“My mom does yoga like that.” Oliver offered awkwardly. “...hey, remember when Slade and I rescued you?”

“ _You_ rescued _me?_ ” Shado questioned.

“Fine, when we all rescued each other.” Oliver corrected. “You said you knew why Fyers wanted Yao Fei...and how he was forcing him to help him. Feel like sharing? We’re almost out of...slapping water.”

 

S hado gracefully leaned forward and landed smoothly on her feet,  then turned to face Oliver.

“My father was a Shangjiang in the People’s Liberation Army. A general. You probably knew about that from his dossier.” Shado explained. “I didn’t hear the details of Fyers’ plans, but he wants my father to be the face of it. A scapegoat, to take the blame and conceal their own involvement.”

“Why was Yao Fei on the island in the first place?” Oliver asked. “The dossier stopped after a certain point...and a lot of people claim he murdered people.”

“No...he didn’t.” Shado said. “The Chinese military committed the massacre. Someone had to take the blame...and he was in the right place at the wrong time. Either way, he was sent here for life. I spent years looking for him, and a few months ago, a man came to my apartment claiming he had information on my father’s whereabouts.”

“That was one of Fyers’ men, wasn’t it?” Oliver guessed.

“Yep.” Shado said. “I’d given up hope…let my guard down. I didn’t even see the taser until it was too late. Then I woke up here with a bag over my head and gun to my back.”

S hado picked up a bucket and filled the bowl again  then sat down across from Oliver.

“I worry about what he must have had to do to survive here.” Shado said. “That it changed him.”

“He saved my life.” Oliver said. “He’s still a good man, Shado.”

S hado nodded and stood up, looking down at Oliver.

“Again.” She said.

 

_Two weeks later_

 

Slade entered the fuselage carrying a bundle of various fish as Oliver continued slapping the water.

“Dinner.” Slade said. “Still doing that, huh? Fyers better keep an eye on his bowls of water.”

“When are we gonna do actual training?” Oliver asked Shado.

“There once was a young boy whose father dropped him off at a Shaolin monastery to study kung fu.” Shado began, as Oliver covered his face with his hands and groaned.

“Great. A story.” Oliver said sarcastically. “My favorite.”

“After a year, the boy came to visit his family.” Shado continued, unfazed. “When asked what he’d learned, the boy hung his head in shame. All the monks had him do was slap water in a barrel for a year.”

“We don’t have a year.” Slade chimed in. “So I hope your training regimen is a bit faster.”

“...The family didn’t believe him, so he showed them.” Shado continued on. “He raised his hand and hit the table they were eating on. It broke in half.”

“I’m gonna be able to break a table?” Oliver questioned, raising his eyebrow.

“No...you’ll do something much better.” Shado said vaguely.

She then stood up and grabbed the longbow, offering it to Oliver. He took it and aimed it at a wall.

“Draw the bow.” Shado said.

Oliver pulled at the string, and it creaked as it bent and stretched. Oliver gently let go of the string, and the tight rope slid slowly back into place.

“I’ll be damned.” Slade said. “You did it.”

“What’s next?” Oliver asked.

“We teach you to shoot.” Shado said.

 

_Two days later_

 

Oliver glanced down at his photograph as he entered the fuselage, and quickly slipped it into his back pocket.

 

“Rescuing your father and stopping Fyers is not gonna be some walk in the park.” Slade argued. “They’re not gonna let us just stroll on into their camp.”

“Which is why we’ll need cover.” Shado said.

“If both of us are infiltrating, who will provide that?” Slade asked.

“Oliver will.” Shado said.

“Me? Really?” Oliver responded with a laugh. Slade merely chuckled at the idea.

“The assault rifle is flushed.” Slade said, composing himself. “It’s useless.”

“We have a bow. Arrows.” Shado argued.

“And no one capable of shooting them.” Slade replied. “No offense, kid.”

“Nah, I was gonna say the same thing.” Oliver said.

“I think we should be spending our time trying to devise a plan, not lower our already slim chances of survival.” Slade said.

“He’ll hit his mark by sundown.” Shado boldly claimed. “If not, we’ll do it your way.”

 

Shado grabbed the bow and its quiver and headed out of the fuselage, and Oliver followed. The two walked far out into the forest and found a large tree to use as a target. Shado passed the bow and an arrow to Oliver, setting the quiver against a trunk. Oliver raised the bow and drew back the string, nocking his arrow.

 

“Set your sight.” Shado said. “Hit the tree.”

Oliver let out a light sigh and released the string. The arrow whizzed past the tree and into the dense vegetation.

“Probably hit _a_ tree.” Oliver joked.

Shado simply handed Oliver another arrow.

“Set your sight.” She repeated. “Hit the tree. Steady your anchor point too.”

Shado placed a hand on his chest and stared into his eyes as he held the bow, when the two were interrupted by Slade.

“I hope you’re getting closer...” Slade interjected. “...at teaching him how to be a better marksman. It’s not as though our lives depend on it or anything.”

Slade then turned and walked away, returning to his hunting and leaving the two to their business.

“Try again.” Shado said as he left.

“Alright.” Oliver replied.

Once again, he let the arrow fly, and once again it failed to find its mark. Oliver lowered the bow and grunted.

“You’re thinking too much.” Shado deduced.

“Nobody ever accused me of that before.” Oliver quipped.

Shado took the bow and quickly fired off two arrows, knocking down two branches with pinpoint precision.

“Showoff.” Oliver muttered as he took the bow.

“I see my target in the distance. I feel the variation in the wind.” Shado explained. “I hear the bowstring tighten...and I let go. Give into your senses. Don’t think.”

Oliver stared into her eyes silently as the wind blew and the leaves rustled. Then, as if compelled by a strange force, Oliver leaned in close to Shado, and she did the same. Their lips met and joined in a passionate kiss, their tongues dancing with each other. Oliver then regained his senses and pulled back and she did the same.

“This isn’t-” Oliver started.

“You’re right, this definitely isn’t the time or place.” Shado finished.

“No, it’s-no, it’s just there’s, uh...there’s someone.” Oliver explained. “And it’s a mile past complicated, but I can’t.”

“She know how much you love her?” Shado asked.

“I suspect right now she doesn’t.” Oliver said. “But as soon as I’m home, she will.”

Oliver then nocked an arrow, pulled back the string and shot off another arrow. Once again, it sailed off into the distance and landed in the grass.

 

Four hours later, the two returned to the fuselage, having exhausted the quiver and their patience.

“So how did our Robin Hood do?” Slade asked.

The two responded by throwing the bow and quiver onto a crate.

“As expected. So back to the drawing board we go.” Slade said.

Slade and Shado then heard a branch snap outside and instinctively armed themselves. Slade grabbed his sword, and Shado grabbed the nearest knife. As they prepared for Fyers’ men, Yao Fei entered the fuselage, much to their surprise. Shado hugged her father, but he was expressionless and stiff, and didn’t return the gesture. Slade began to catch on to what was happening.

“How did you escape?” Slade asked, slowly raising his sword.

“I didn’t.” Yao Fei said.

As he said that, Fyers’ mercenaries swarmed the fuselage from every entrance, surrounding the trio instantly and aiming their rifles at them.

“You dirty little cockbite!” Slade growled. “You better pick a god and pray, because I’m gonna kick your ass into next week!”

Slade tried to punch Yao Fei, but a soldier smacked him with the butt of his rifle, knocking him to the floor. Yao Fei walked past his daughter to Oliver and stared down at him with his same emotionless look.

“Your time on this island is at an end.” He said grimly.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said, not my best work. Hopefully the next chapter will be better.
> 
> Besides, in terms of the Arrow timeline, at this point in the story we're nearing the end of Season One and the Fyers storyline, and beginning to move towards the Amazo storyline, which I really like.


	13. In The Endgame Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Events come to a head as Oliver and his group are dragged into Fyers' camp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end is finally here. I've been working on this since June of last year, and this is where all of that work has led.   
> I hope you'll enjoy the final chapter of this novelization.

**Secrets Of Lian Yu**

 

**Chapter Thirteen – In The Endgame Now**

 

A blur. That’s the only way Oliver could describe the events following Yao Fei’s return. Punches were thrown, wrists were tied together, and he was dragged out of the fuselage...and before he knew it, he was in a truck on his way back to Fyers’ camp alongside Slade and Shado. The truck rumbled to a stop, and the engine cut out right next to the recently fixed missile launcher. The soldiers forcefully grabbed the group, and pulled them out, dragging them into the big tent in the center of the camp. As Oliver entered the tent, he noticed Alan Durand from the cave, glaring menacingly at him while sitting in front of the radio.

 

‘ _Looks like my suspicions about him were right.’_ Oliver thought, glaring back at him.

“Save it.” Slade whispered, noticing his expression. “We don’t have the luxury of feeding vendettas.”

Their staring match was interrupted as Yao Fei entered the tent.

“Ba!” Shado exclaimed.

“Shado...” Yao Fei muttered.

“You led Fyers right to us, you fucking coward!” Slade interjected.

“Fyers was about to fire bomb the entire forest, just to eliminate you!” He reasoned. “This way, you all have a chance.”

“Well, pray I don’t get the chance to repay your mercy.” Slade hissed.

“How fitting...” Fyers inserted, entering the tent at last. “...everyone reunited for the end.”

“The end of what?! What is all this for?!” Oliver questioned. 

Fyers didn’t respond, simply staring at him  and walking over to the radio .

“HKIA, this is Ferris Air flight six-three-seven outta Berlin, non-stop to Hong Kong.” A pilot announced over the radio. “We are steady on approach at thirty-three thousand feet, with winds at fifteen knots. ETA two hours, fifteen minutes, over.”

“Ferris six-three-seven, this is HKIA.” Alan replied. “Adjust course to zero point six degrees south. Eleven minutes, over.”

“Roger, HKIA, why the course change?” The pilot responded.

“Nothing to worry about, six-three-seven, just looking to, uh, make sure you avoid a little turbulence.” Alan lied.

“Roger that, adjusting course now.” The pilot said, as Alan turned to Fyers.

“They’re altering course, sir. The plane will be in range of Lian Yu in twenty-six minutes.” Alan explained.

“Good, keep tracking it.” Fyers ordered.

“That’s a commercial airliner, Fyers. Not like it can land here.” Oliver pointed out.

“It won’t be landing anywhere, Mr. Queen.” Fyers threatened. “I’m going to destroy it.”

 

O liver glanced at the missile launcher and then turned back to Fyers.

“This doesn’t make any sense, why do you wanna blow up a plane?!” Oliver shouted.

“When the New York Stock Exchange reopened after 9/11, the DOW Jones dropped nearly six hundred and eighty five points.” Fyers explained. “Imagine what would happen to China, the world’s second largest economy, if all air travel in and out of China were to be grounded indefinitely.”

“You wanna destabilize China’s economy?” Slade asked.

“It’s not what I want...but rather, my employer.” Fyers said. “We have enough missiles here to shoot down any aircraft approaching the mainland. That will decimate their economy.”

F yers then turned to Yao Fei, still standing silently.

“Especially once a rogue element in China’s own military claims responsibility.” He continued. “You see, inconvenient though you sometimes were...you’re always worth more to me alive than dead.”

“Then you should have killed me, because I won’t do it.” Yao Fei said.

“Really?” Fyers whispered.

He then turned around and quickly pulled out his pistol, smacking Oliver in the face with it and then shooting Slade in the leg,  right before shooting his daughter in the arm.

“Shado!” Yao Fei exclaimed, rushing over to her.

“I said I need you alive, but I can kill everyone you care about.” Fyers warned, aiming his gun at Shado.

“Stop!” He protested. “I’ll do it.”

“I knew your good judgement could be counted on.” Fyers said, lowering his gun. “Come along now, we need to get you back into your old uniform.”

Y ao Fei nodded and started to stand up. As he did, he pulled out a small knife from his boot and slid it into Oliver’s hands silently.  As Yao Fei stood up  and walked out , Oliver clenched the knife tightly, and focused on remaining expressionless, as Slade h a d taught him.  Fyers then pulled out his satellite phone and dialed his employer.

“It’s Fyers.” He said. “It’s happening.”

 

_Meanwhile_

UNKNOWN LOCATION, California

 

“Understood.” His handler replied, hanging up quickly. “That was Fyers. Everything is proceeding according to your plan.” 

“Good. You’re dismissed.” Amanda Waller said, motioning for him to leave. He bowed and stepped out of the room, as Waller turned back to the flight path of the plane on her monitor.

‘ _It’s all coming together now.’_ She thought, leaning back in her chair casually.

 

_Lian Yu_

 

As Yao Fei stepped in front of the camcorder in front of him, Fyers made the final adjustments to the camera.   
“The uniform suits you, Yao Fei.” He commented. “ Anytime you’re ready.”

Y ao Fei took a deep breath, and exhaled.

“To the people of China and citizens of the world...” Yao Fei began. “...I make this statement, voluntarily, taking responsibility for the shooting of Ferris Air flight six-three-seven to protest the People’s Republic of China’s treatment of me, for abandoning and betraying me to the island of Lian Yu. Consider this my righteous delivery of powerful vengeance.” 

As Yao Fei spoke, Oliver quietly and slowly cut his way through his bindings.

“Thank you.” Fyers said.

Fyers turned off the camera, then pulled out his pistol and shot Yao Fei,  killing him  instantly .  Yao Fei’s body crumpled up and fell over.

“No!” Oliver screamed in protest.

“Sir. Plane is within range.” Alan announced. “The plane’s holding steady at thirty-three thousand feet. It’s in range for missile intercept, sir.”

“Lock missile one on target.” Fyers ordered.

“Missile one locked on the jet’s heat trail.” Alan noted, clacking away at the laptop in front of him.

“Prepare to launch on my mark.” Fyers said.

“Yes, sir.” Alan said.

A s they spoke, Oliver regained his composure and began quietly cutting away at his restraints,  as Slade  and Shado glanced at Oliver and noticed the knife  in his hands .

“Do it.” Slade mouthed.

O liver nodded and quickly sliced through the bindings, and jumped to his feet in unison with his allies. He then tackled Fyers head first, knocking him out of the way  as Slade headbutted the guard in front of him .  Shado turned to face the other guards and Oliver quickly cut her free.  As she ran forward and pulled off a sweeping kick, Alan stood up and decked Oliver in the face,  then grabbed him by the neck and forced him against the table.  Fyers stood up and grabbed the nearest radio, as chaos broke out all around him.

“Fire! Fire the missile!” Fyers screeched into the radio.

F yers then ran outside as Shado finished off the guards and grabbed Alan from behind, snapping his neck near instantly.  She and Oliver ran out of the tent, only to see the missile fire before their eyes  and sail into the sky.

“Come on! We can still redirect it!” Shado shouted, running towards the launcher.

Oliver prepared to follow, but was pinned down by the relentless assault from Fyers’ men,  forcing him to hide behind a crate.  At that moment, Slade ran out of the tent with an AK-47 in hand, screaming bloody murder and spraying rounds all over the camp.

“Go, kid!” He yelled.

O liver ran out of cover and jumped onto the truck. He and Shado pulled the guards off and  she  yanked open the box holding the circuit ry .

“We need to reprogram the missile.” She said.

“I don’t know how to reprogram a missile launcher!” Oliver protested.

S hado felt around the mess of wires, finding the circuit board  and forcefully pulling it out .

“I do.” Shado said proudly, fidgeting with the chip.

“Look out!” Oliver shouted.

As he yelled, a soldier attempted to ambush Shado, and she disarmed him quickly, kicking him in the chest and using his gun to kill the driver. The driver hunched over in the cabin and forced the truck to begin moving.  Shado continued wrestling with the soldier as the truck picked up speed.

“Oliver, put the chip in!” Shado ordered.

 

As Oliver moved to the circuit box, Shado fell off the truck, dragging her opponent with her.  Oliver then ran over to the circuit box and after reopening it, looked up at the progress of the missile. He didn’t have long. After scrambling to find the port, Oliver hastily plugged in the circuit board.  Then, in big red letters, a message appeared on the small status screen-TARGET MODIFICATION CONFIRMED.  Oliver looked up and watched as the missile stalled out...and began heading towards the camp. Oliver quickly grabbed the driver of the truck and pulled his weight off the throttle, stopping the  vehicle. He then scampered off and took cover behind the launcher , as the missile made contact and engulfed Fyers’ camp in a sea of fire and smoke,  and Oliver slumped down and let out a deep breath.

 

H ours later, when the flames had died, Oliver headed into the  ruined camp to look for his friends.

“Slade!” Oliver shouted, scanning the debris. “Shado!” 

O liver’s eyes came across a familiar, but scorched crate. He kicked the crate open and found a dark black, wooden bow with a matching set of handmade arrows.  He picked up the bow excitedly and nocked an arrow, as laughter filled the night air suddenly.

“Boy, I shoulda figured.” Slade said, crawling out of the crates he’d been hiding in. “You couldn’t save the day without making an utter mess.”

“Where’s Shado?” Oliver asked.

“Thought she was with you.” Slade replied.

“Actually, she’s with me!” Fyers interjected as he revealed himself.

Fyers stepped out and faced the two, his pistol up against Shado’s head.

“Let her go!” Slade yelled. “It’s over, Fyers!” 

A s Slade fell to his knees from his injuries, Oliver pulled back the string on his bow and aimed it at Fyers.

“Let. Her. Go.” Oliver threatened.

“Amazing.” Fyers said. “A two-year operation undone because a young playboy happened to wash up on the shore, and now here you are. A killer. You wanted nothing more than to leave this island, and now you can! I can call in a rescue ship, you can go home! So tell me, Mr. Queen...are you prepared to sacrifice your freedom for her?”

O liver said nothing, and silently let go of the bowstring. The arrow launched out and hit Fyers in the jugular,  as Oliver lowered his bow.

“Guess so.” Oliver said.

 

_And that’s where my story ends...or so I wished. Despite thinking my problems were at their end, I soon learned that despite what I’d thought all along...I wasn’t the only survivor of the Queen’s Gambit._

 

_2007_

_North China Sea_

 

Dark, and cold. That was the last thing Sara Lance remembered before waking up on a broken door in the North China Sea. Sara rolled over and looked to her side to see a bright yellow canary on a piece of driftwood, chirping happily before flying off. As she watched the canary fly away, she noticed a massive, grey cargo ship with the name “AMAZO” written on the side in big letters. She waved weakly at the ship, and it blew its horn in response. Sara passed out from the exertion as the horn reverberated in her ears.

 

When she woke up again, she was in a damp cell block. She scrambled to her feet and saw a well-built African man with an AK-47 over his back walking in.

“Get up.” He ordered with a thick accent, grabbing her by the wrists and dragging her to her feet.

“Wait, wait. No, wait!” Sara protested.

“The more you struggle, the more it’ll hurt.” The man threatened.

“Wait.” A voice said calmly. “Let her go.”

The guards parted, and a middle-aged caucasian man entered the cell block.

“You don’t give me orders.” The guard said.

“No, that would be the captain.” The leader said. “But he works for me, doesn’t he?”

The guard angrily pushed Sara into his arms, and the leader calmly left the room, and led her into his office.

 

“Here we are.” He said, locking the door behind Sara. “It’s not much, but it’s home.”

“Why did you lock the door?” Sara asked quietly.

“No, no. No, no. It’s not because...” He defended. “...it’s just a habit. My shipmates aren’t the nicest bunch. Please, come in, have a seat.”

Sara slowly, cautiously sat down, and the man sat down across from her.

“My name is Ivo. Doctor Anthony Ivo.” He said. “And you are?”

“Sara.” She replied.

“Nice to meet you, Sara.” Ivo said.

“Why do you keep people down there in those cells?” Sara asked.

“It’s my work. I need them.” Ivo replied.

“What work?” Sara asked.

“I am going to save the human race, Sara.” Ivo said with a twisted smile. “Maybe you can help me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that's the end of that.  
> I hope you enjoyed this series as much as I enjoyed writing. I've left it open to a sequel at the end there, but I'm not sure I'll come back to this.   
> While I feel like this was better than some of my older works, it still feels "unoriginal". I'd like to write something original for once. Maybe publish it on Amazon or something, I dunno.  
> Anyway, since I'm bad at endings, I'll just say that I hope you enjoyed this, and have a nice day.


End file.
